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Mississippi received a $650,000 RESTORE Act grant to fund an oyster-shell recycling pilot program from 2020-2023, collecting restaurant waste for Gulf Coast reef restoration.
Sep 20, 2026
Gulfport
Description
Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality received approximately $650,000 in RESTORE Act grant funding drawn from civil penalty funds tied to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The funds supported the Mississippi Sound Oyster Shell Recycling Program, a pilot initiative called 'Save Our Shells' that ran from 2020 through 2023. The program collected discarded oyster shells from Gulf Coast restaurants and redirected them back into the water as cultch to support oyster larval growth and reef replenishment. The Nature Conservancy was contracted to manage the program, with planning completed in the initial phase before shell collection launched in 2023.
Company Information
Company
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Location
Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
About
Mississippi's Oyster Shell Recycling Program is a state-funded initiative that collects discarded oyster shells from Gulf Coast restaurants and repurposes them as cultch for oyster reef restoration. Funded through a $650,000 RESTORE Act grant from Deepwater Horizon oil spill civil penalties, the program was managed by The Nature Conservancy from 2020 to 2023. Shells are cleaned through sunlight exposure to eliminate bacteria and organic materials before being deployed in coastal waters. The program addresses oyster population decline by providing natural substrate for oyster larvae to settle and grow on.
Gulfport