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The 2023 Alabama Oyster Gardening season is ending.

Efforts to collect oysters for the 2023 season of the Alabama Oyster Gardening Program are ongoing right now.

This year, gardeners at approved sites across coastal Alabama participated in the 23rd year of the Alabama Oyster Gardening Program. Participants in the program received spat set shell earlier this year and have been caring for the oysters over the past several months.

Removing predators, such as crabs or oyster drills and shaking gardens to remove mud and algae are just a few examples of ways that gardeners care for the oysters. Gardeners this season helped participate in an ongoing research experiment by keeping a treatment group of oysters separate from a control group.

Oysters grown by volunteers with the Oyster Gardening Program. These oysters will be planted at predetermined sites and used for local restoration projects. (Photo by Conrad Horst)

We are thankful to each gardener for their participation and attention to detail in making sure these groups stayed separate from one another.

Anyone interested in participating in oyster gardening next season can contact us at [email protected] or you can fill out the form found on our website.

Meet the author

P.J. Waters, Ph.D.

Associate Extension Professor

P.J. is an associate extension professor with Auburn University. He coordinates the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program and its projects, as well as K-12 aquaculture/aquascience programs. PJ works... Read more

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