Typically, restaurants send all the shells from shucked oysters to a landfill along with the rest of the restaurant's trash. However, when shucked shells are returned to the water, they create a future habitat for oysters. Through the Galveston Bay Foundation's Oyster Shell Recycling Program, they partner with multiple Houston and Galveston area restaurants to collect shucked oyster shells and return them to the Bay to create oyster habitat. Bludorn is one of the many restaurants who are shell recycling partners.
Unlike most sea creatures, oysters don't just live in the water – they specifically need to live on other oyster shells. That is why Galveston Bay Foundation's Oyster Shell Recycling Program is so important. It focuses on increasing the population of Eastern oysters by returning shucked oyster shells collected from local restaurants back to Galveston Bay to create new oyster habitat and a healthier Bay for all.
The resulting oyster reef also serves as shelter for crabs, shrimp, and juvenile fish, which in turn serve as a food source for other wildlife. In addition, the oyster reefs help stabilize sediment on the Bay bottom and can prevent erosion along shorelines. To date, they have recycled over 1,000 tons of oyster shells!
The 2024 Oyster & SeaFest at the Waterworks at Buffalo Bayou Park is on Saturday, April 6th from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Join hundreds of Houstonians and some of the city's top restaurants for oyster and seafood dishes. Tickets start at $35 and your attendance benefits the oyster shell recycling and habitat restoration efforts.
For more information, visit galvbay.org