Oyster Shell Recycling Program
Oyster shell is a valuable resource in the state of North Carolina. It is used by the federation, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and others to build new oyster reefs. To get the material that is needed, shells are often bought from shucking houses and delivered to project sites for $2-3 per bushel. A recycling…
Shellfish Aquaculture
Learn more State of the Oyster: 2017 Progress Report The Oyster Restoration and Protection Plan for North Carolina: A Blueprint for Action 2015-2020 NCOysters.org North Carolina Shellfish Mariculture Plan: 2017-2018 Plan Development Process A multi-stakeholder group worked together to create a shellfish mariculture plan for North Carolina in order to grow the industry in a sustainable way. Shellfish…
Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary
The North Carolina Coastal Federation launched the 50 Million Oyster Initiative in 2017, with a goal of establishing 50 acres of new oyster habitat in the state by 2020. To reach this goal, the federation and partners are building 40 acres of reef at the Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary. These acres are part of the…
50 Million Oyster Initiative
By the numbers 50 acres of oyster reef 50 million oysters 2.5 billion gallons of water, filtered daily Millions of fish and wildlife supported Give oysters a bright future! North Carolina’s native oyster, Crassostrea virginica, needs your help! For the cost of a few bottles of cocktail sauce, you can help restore 50 acres of…
Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve Project
The 52-acre Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve contains coastal shrub scrub and forest habitat, salt marsh and tidal creek areas and has over 3,000 feet of shoreline along Stump Sound. The preserve is located in the heart of the very productive shellfish growing areas of Stump Sound, and is an excellent site to stage oyster…
Oyster Education Program
Teaching Students with Oysters Most folks enjoy eating oysters — but students working with the North Carolina Coastal Federation like to also learn about why oysters are so valuable to the environment. The federation’s multifaceted Oyster Education Program connects students to the coast using the oyster in the classroom and in the field. The classroom…
Beacon Island Shoreline Restoration: Creating Oyster Habitat While Saving the Brown Pelicans’ Home
Beacon Island in Pamlico Sound is one of only nine remaining nesting sites for brown pelicans in North Carolina. In 2014, the remote 7.5-acre island, owned by Audubon North Carolina, supported 558 nesting pairs of pelicans, about 12 percent of the state’s population. Much like similar sites around the state, the shoreline of Beacon Island is…
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project
One thing many people don’t realize is how much a coastal restoration project looks like a construction project. That’s because it IS a construction project, just one that builds environmental infrastructure instead of houses and roads. In many cases, the same materials, construction equipment and contractors are used. Landscape-scale restoration has less to do with tree hugging…