Objective:
Launched in August 2024, our Oyster Shell Recycling Program partners with Pensacola and Perdido Bay area restaurants to collect shucked oyster shells and return them to the bay, where they help restore vital oyster habitats. Instead of ending up in landfills, these shells are repurposed to support oyster population recovery.

The Oyster Alliance Program promotes sustainable practices, improves water quality, creates wildlife habitat, and fosters community involvement in protecting the oyster ecosystems that are crucial to our region's environmental and economic well-being. 

Oyster Corps

OysterCorps, a nationally recognized Conservation Corps Program led by Franklin’s Promise Coalition, plays a key role in this initiative. As a dual environmental restoration and workforce training initiative, the program engages local youth in coastal restoration and resilience projects such as oyster habitat, seagrass, dune systems, and tidal marsh restoration. At the same time, Corps members gain on-the-job training, industry certifications, academic programming, leadership skills, and support to become environmental stewards.

As a grant subawardee, OysterCorps will work alongside PPBEP to manage oyster shell collection from participating restaurants, support outreach and oyster monitoring, and serve as restoration practitioners for upcoming restoration projects.

Impact as of October 2024

Learn more about how your recycled shells are being used in oyster restoration projects in Pensacola Bay.

Participating Restaurants

   

 How to Get Involved
Interested in becoming a restaurant partner or want more information? Please contact Paige Lansky at [email protected] or (850) 595-2371.

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities to help build Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) and oyster reefs. Subscribe to our volunteer newsletter to stay in the loop and join our Volunteer Portal for the most up to date information. 

 Partners

Funding: 

$351,000 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant

The Gulf of Mexico Community-based Oyster Shell Recycling and Reef Restoration Network, led by Restore America’s Estuaries, unites organizations across the Gulf Coast to advance oyster shell recycling and restoration efforts. Over the next two years, PPBEP will collaborate with partners to revitalize the local Oyster Shell Recycling Program. This funding will facilitate the collection of recycled oyster shells from participating restaurants, which will be used in coastal restoration projects in Pensacola and Perdido Bays.