San Antonio recycles oyster shells to restore Gulf reefs
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In San Antonio, Texas, the South Texas Coastal Initiative (STCI) collects discarded oyster shells from restaurants, festivals, and events to rebuild oyster reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.
The STCI partners with Sink Your Shucks, a program run by Texas A&M University and the Harte Research Institute, to recycle the shells. During the annual Fiesta Oyster Bake festival alone, attendees consume around 100,000 oysters, generating a large volume of shells for restoration.
Oyster reefs are vital to healthy coastal ecosystems because they create habitats for marine life like fish, shrimp, and crabs. Oysters also filter water, improving water quality, a single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water. Because more oysters are now harvested than can naturally reproduce, recycling shells helps to sustain these reefs. The STCI collects shells from San Antonio restaurants several times a week, cleans and prepares them, and then transports them to the Texas coast.
The organization raises approximately $150,000 annually through donations and fundraising to cover the program’s costs. H-E-B, a grocery chain, contributed $50,000 to support the oyster restoration effort, recognizing the importance of restoring oyster populations in Texas bays.
