Volusia and Flagler counties are home to thousands of recycled oyster shells suspended beneath private docks, creating habitat for young oysters and other marine life. The Oysters for My Neighborhood Vertical Gardens Initiative uses this simple concept to restore the Halifax River.
Restoring the Halifax River
Chuck Gleichmann, chief operating officer of Oysters for My Neighborhood, helped launch the local initiative after learning about similar restoration efforts in the Tampa Bay area and watching water quality decline near his own home. The baby oysters float around in the water looking for a place to attach, and the vertical oyster garden provides that habitat for them.
The gardens also provide shelter for crabs, fish, and other marine life, creating small ecosystems beneath neighborhood docks. As the oysters mature, they begin filtering the water, with each oyster able to clean about 50 gallons of water per day.
Organizers say the initiative has secured funding to continue expanding, with about 1,800 vertical oyster gardens already hanging beneath docks throughout Volusia and Flagler counties, and hopes of adding more in the future.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
