San Leon - Rett Reef Creation / Galveston Bay Oyster Reef Rehabilitation

[ChannelTwoNews]

A 300-ton pile of oyster shells and a unique plan to restore reefs along Galveston Bay – Houston Public Media

"Since 2020, Halili has been collecting oyster shells discarded from the restaurant her son runs, Pier 6 Seafood. In a lot adjacent to the restaurant sit some 300 tons of shells in a giant pile. In the spring, they’ll be dumped offshore just a few hundred yards from Pier 6 to create an attractive new surface for young oysters to attach to and grow on, in what is being named Rett Reef."

[IWantTransit555]

What benefits would bringing back more oysters give?

Slightly unrelated, but I have seen people claim that there were written accounts of the bay the 1800s that describe huge mounds and reefs of oysters that even sometimes stuck out of the water.

[Naviguessor]

You mean, aside from a healthier ecosystem and storm surge protection, as well as economic and employment bumps from the harvest?  How about adding to a local source for delicious gulf oysters.  

[ChannelTwoNews]

Piles of old oyster shells could bring back an entire reef ecosystem (houstonlanding.org)

"This time, however, the company, along with the Nature Conservancy of Texas, Texas Sea Grant and the Halili family of Pier 6 Seafood and Oyster House and the San Leon Oyster Festival, are working together to restore a public reef in the first ever private industry, public conservancy oyster partnership in Texas. 

And unlike the private reefs, there will be no oyster harvesting at Rett Reef. Once the reef hopefully bounces back, it’ll be used solely for sport fishing and oyster habitat. "