Today on Marine Science Minute with Florida Sea Grant: Oyster Restoration!

Oyster reefs are vital to estuaries, where freshwater meets saltwater. They provide habitat for small organisms, are feeding grounds for important fish species like snapper and grouper, and they stabilize the shorelines.  

Oysters are also filter feeders. They remove nutrients from the water, which improves water quality. As ecosystem engineers, oysters are used in living shoreline restoration projects to help improve water quality and protect shorelines.  

The Florida Sea Grant plastic-free restoration of oyster shorelines, or PROS, promotes the use of plastic-free materials in building restored oyster reefs.  

Their combined efforts have created There are over fifteen PROS sites across Florida, reducing plastic in our waters, protecting shorelines from erosion, and providing structures for oysters to thrive on! 

For information about this and other coastal topics, contact your county extension office or visit Florida Sea Grant at flseagrant.org. 

Volunteers pose for photo during oyster prism installation.