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Help Support Marine Conservation in Florida

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With your help, we can conserve marine habitat in Florida and around the world for people and nature.

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Go Deeper

Why Restore Oyster Reefs?

Meet the conservationist who has organized thousands of volunteers to restore Mosquito Lagoon's oyster reefs.

Video
Watch a video about the oyster reef restoration project.

An Afternoon in Mosquito Lagoon
A children’s book about the oyster reef restoration project.

Marine Conservation
Shellfish beds and reefs provide important habitat for other species, as well as acting as a breakwater for marshes and mangroves and stabilizing shorelines. Learn more about our marine conservation work.

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Volunteers are needed to help restore dead oyster reefs for an oyster reef restoration project in the Indian River Lagoon. The goal is to restore oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon, volunteers are needed to help make oyster shell mats. Each mat is made up of 36 oyster shells attached vertically with zip ties. The mats are attached to each other forming a large quilt-like structure.

Oyster mat-making opportunities: 
E-mail Michelle Peters-Snyder or call  (321) 543-6127 to RSVP for mat-making events. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions and work with their hands.  

  • November 13, noon - 2 pm, Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, Titusville
  • November 17, 10 am - noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
  • November 18, 10 am - noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • December 4, noon - 2 pm, Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, Titusville
  • December 9, 10 am - noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • December 10, 10 am - noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
  • December 15, 10 am - noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
  • December 16, 10 am - noon, Lagoon House, Palm Bay

Schedule a Mat-making Session: Civic groups, schools, clubs, boating groups, recreational clubs, church groups — any group looking for an easy and fun way to help the lagoon.

A Nature Conservancy representative will bring all materials and give a presentation to your group about oyster reefs, the lagoon environment and instructions on how to create the oyster mats. Conservancy staff will then collect the completed mats to be “planted” in the Mosquito Lagoon.

Contact Michelle Peters-Snyder at (321) 543-6127 to schedule a mat-making event. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions carefully and work with their hands.

Partnership Information:
The oyster reef restoration project is coordinated by The Nature Conservancy, University of Central Florida and NOAA, and is funded by a grant from the National Partnership between the NOAA Community Based Restoration Program and The Nature Conservancy and partners throughout the Indian River Lagoon. View a fact sheet about the oyster reef restoration project.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © The Nature Conservancy (restored oyster reef); Photo © Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (volunteers making oyster mats), Photo © TNC (little volunteer helper Olivia Hudacek).