The 2023-2024 Mississippi oyster gardening season was the most productive the program has seen so far!
At the end of March, staff from Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources collected over 93,000 oysters from 48 sites across the Mississippi coast. All oysters were deployed near Biloxi to help rebuild an existing oyster reef.
This is the largest number of oysters ever grown by the Mississippi Oyster Gardening Program in one season. We are thankful for all our oyster gardeners and their hard work!
More oysters are yet to be collected, as students at St. Stanislaus College are keeping their oysters through May to finish out the school year. These numbers will be added to the final 2023-2024 oyster count at that time.
Alabama gears up for its 2024 season
Our work is never over. As Mississippi oyster gardening ends, its counterparts in Alabama are rapidly approaching the start of their 2024 season. New gardens are constructed and ready for delivery, with spat-set shell (juvenile oysters set on whole oyster shell) scheduled for distribution in May. Mississippi oyster gardening is set to start back up in August.
If you would like to participate in the next Mississippi or Alabama oyster gardening season, we have a few spots left! All you need is a pier or dock and a few minutes to spare once a week.
Reach out to us if you are interested, or look to our website for more information about our programs. You can also find us on Facebook or Instagram.
Meet the author
Emily McCay
Mississippi Oyster Gardening Program Coordinator
Emily McCay is a full-time member of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Engagement and Education Team, the Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center, and the Alabama... Read more
Phone: 251-471-2124 ext. 21
Email: [email protected]