As oyster populations continue to face challenges along Alabama's coast, conservation groups are marking a decade of efforts aimed at restoring habitat and protecting ecosystems that support one of the area's most important natural resources.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Alabama Coastal Foundation's (ACF) Oyster Shell Recycling Program, which has collected nearly 29.7 million oyster shells since launching in 2016.

The program partners with restaurants across coastal Alabama to collect discarded oyster shells that would otherwise be sent to landfills. After curing for six months, the shells are returned to Alabama waters, where they provide substrate for young oysters to attach and grow.

"Each one of those restaurants that participate, each one of their customers who order oysters on the half shell are part of our restoration efforts," said Mark Berte, ACF executive director. "We've helped restore over 120 acres of oyster reef thus far, and we know that number will continue to grow."

According to foundation statistics, the program has collected 29,691,386 shells, enough to fill more than 471 dump trucks and weighing the equivalent of 625 elephants. The shells have contributed to the restoration of 120 acres of oyster reef habitat.

Berte said the program was the first oyster shell recycling initiative of its kind in Alabama and was modeled after a similar effort in New Orleans.

"It was not there in our area before 10 years ago," Berte said. "We've actually been helping other communities to start their own oyster shell recycling program too."

Beyond their commercial value, oysters play a critical role in coastal ecosystems. Oyster reefs improve water quality, provide habitat for fish and shellfish and help buffer shorelines from erosion and storm impacts.

"Oysters are a huge part of our economy, but they also do some wonderful things for our environment," Berte said.

The anniversary comes as conservation organizations continue to highlight the long-term decline of oyster habitat in Alabama waters. According to Mobile Baykeeper, more than 85% of oyster reefs in Mobile Bay have been lost due to factors including development, dredging and environmental changes. Mobile Baykeeper has also reported that oyster populations have declined by more than 80% since 1950.

In response, restoration efforts have expanded across the coast. In 2023, Baykeeper launched its Oyster Keepers Program, a hands-on reef restoration initiative that partners with waterfront property owners to grow oysters from docks and piers. Adult oysters are suspended in cages year-round, where they produce larvae that help seed new reefs throughout the bay.

Baykeeper says each cage of oysters has the potential to produce up to 100 million oyster larvae annually while filtering as much as 2,000 gallons of water per day.

With a goal of planting 10 million oysters by 2030, Mobile Baykeeper deployed 240,000 oysters to restoration reefs across coastal Alabama in 2025 alone, where they will continue to grow and reproduce.

Another major conservation milestone also reaches its 10-year anniversary this year.

In November 2016, the City of Gulf Shores completed the Bon Secour–Oyster Bay Wetland Acquisition Project, permanently protecting approximately 836 acres of coastal habitat from future development.

According to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the acquisition was designed to protect and restore tidal marshes, maritime forests and freshwater swamps that serve as important habitat for endangered species.

The foundation said the wetlands also function as nurseries for commercially important shellfish and finfish and play "a crucial role in the water quality and ecological function of the Oyster Bay, Bon Secour and Little Lagoon watersheds."

According to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the project eliminated the likely risk of future development in one of south Alabama's fastest-growing areas while expanding existing conservation lands adjacent to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. The project also called for long-term habitat management efforts, including invasive species removal and native vegetation plantings.

Together, the oyster shell recycling program and the Bon Secour–Oyster Bay acquisition represent two different approaches to coastal conservation launched in 2016 — one focused on rebuilding oyster habitat directly and the other on protecting the wetlands and watersheds that help sustain healthy coastal ecosystems.

For Berte, both efforts reflect the importance of long-term conservation strategies.

"These shells not only help to refurbish those 120 acres, but every year that does grow and expand," he said. "We know that the more oysters we get, the better the impact is overall for the environment."

Looking ahead, the Alabama Coastal Foundation hopes to expand participation in its recycling program beyond coastal communities and into cities such as Birmingham, Montgomery, Auburn and Tuscaloosa.

"We're really looking forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary — a full decade of the program in operation this fall," Berte said.

Berte encouraged residents to support participating restaurants, learn more about oyster restoration efforts and explore ways to get involved with the foundation's conservation work.

More information about the Oyster Shell Recycling Program, including participating restaurants and volunteer opportunities, is available at joinacf.org. 

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.