Year: 2018
Project(s):
Relevance
Wild oyster populations are in decline. Education and restoration efforts are needed to reverse the trend. Oyster gardening provides both.
Response
Oyster gardening efforts facilitate hands-on, experiential educational opportunities for coastal residents from school age through retiree, specifically focused on the ecological and economic role of oysters and oyster reefs in the local estuarine environment.
Results
In 2018, volunteers at 118 sites grew 123,271 stocker-sized oysters in cages off piers. The oysters were sufficient to restore 6.14 acres with an economic value of $118,969.19 and generating a program ROI of 4.71:1.
Recap
Oyster gardening programs in Alabama and Mississippi produced 123,271 advanced stocker oysters at 118 sites with a restoration potential of 6.14 acres and an economic restorative value of $118,969.19, generating a program-wide ROI of 4.71:1 (471%). (2018)