Oyster Shell Replanting
Photos by Debbie Rea
The Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program (VOSRP) is a public-private, nonprofit organization working to restore oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay. Shells from restaurants and public drop-off sites are brought to the VCU Rice Rivers Center, aged for about a year, then placed in seeding tanks where baby oysters (larvae or spat) attach to the shells. They will grow their own shells, but need to anchor onto a substrate to get started. Volunteers assist in "replanting" the seeded shells in the Piankatank River. They may also help with research projects, e.g., counting spat so that the success rates of different substrates (stones, concrete, porcelain, etc.) can be compared.
Don't Chuck that Shuck!
​Eastern Oysters (Crassotrea virginica) are a keystone marine animal because they are filter feeders that remove sediment and excess nutrients from the water. What is more, their shells provide habitat for hundreds of species. They can also prevent erosion of soft shorelines and act as storm barriers. Waste shells often discarded after people eat oysters are actually a valuable material that can help restore oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay that have been depleted by disease, overharvesting, and habitat loss.
If you eat oysters, you can donate the shells at drop-off locations in Richmond.
Goodbye, Little Guys! Have a good life!