Loxahatchee River District and The Nature Conservancy Install Artificial Oyster Reefs using NOAA Funds

Effort uses recycled oyster shells from local restaurants and ReefBalls to build new reefs in northwest fork of Loxahatchee River

Altamonte Springs, FL — November 20, 2008 — Oysters are the bedrock of river life. They help stabilize shorelines. They provide homes for shrimp and blue crabs and support hunting grounds for sport-fish species, such as snapper. And, they keep our rivers clean.

“In the Loxahatchee River, oyster populations have declined due to a lack of hard surfaces where oyster larvae can attach,” said Bud Howard, director of water resources for the Loxahatchee River District. “We’re working with local partners, including riverfront homeowners, to restore oyster habitat by creating new reefs in the river.”

The Loxahatchee River District and The Nature Conservancy installed one of their first artificial oyster reefs in the northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River today. The two groups are working together to restore oyster reef habitat by placing used oyster shells and concrete ReefBalls under docks.

Local restaurants, including the Crab House and Spotos Oyster Bar, have volunteered to recycle their oyster shells for the restoration effort. The shells will be put in mesh bags and placed beneath docks along the northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter and Tequesta.

The Martin County Artificial Reef Program and more than 200 volunteers have helped make the ReefBalls, which typically attract fish as soon as they are placed in the water. The Conservancy and the Loxahatchee River District continue to seek home and dock owners along the northwest fork of the river to participate in the oyster restoration project.

The Loxahatchee River is located within northern Palm Beach and southern Martin counties. Often referred to as the “last free-flowing river in southeast Florida,” the Loxahatchee’s northwest fork is also recognized as a federally designated Wild and Scenic River.

The project receives partial funding through a national partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Community-based Restoration Program and The Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 18 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 117 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.