Discarded oyster shells are being recycled to help rebuild oyster reefs along the Texas coast. (Photo: KSAT)
Because of what they do to keep the environment clean, “They’re a real key species.
“One single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water, which is huge and very important for the ecosystem,” Jorge Rodriguez, an STCI supporter and member, said, according to KSAT. “First and foremost, (the goal is) to clean the water, get rid of the pollution, because that helps all the other fish and animals and shrimp and crabs,” Brown said. In San Antonio, the South Texas Coastal Initiative (STCI) is collecting oyster shells and sending them to Sink Your Shucks, an oyster shell recycling program operated by Texas A&M University and the Harte Research Institute in Corpus Christi. The recycled shells are then used to help restore oyster reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, providing habitat for marine life and helping improve water quality. The process turns what would otherwise be discarded waste into a resource for coastal conservation. Oyster reefs play an important role in the health of coastal ecosystems. They provide habitat for fish, shrimp, crabs and other marine species, while oysters themselves help filter the water around them. Brown compared oysters’ role in the marine environment to the way trees help clean the air. They’re like trees cleaning the air.”
