Olympia Oyster Restoration
Olympia Oysters are the only oyster native to the west coast. They were once abundant in sheltered estuaries like Humboldt Bay, San Francisco Bay, Newport Bay, and San Diego Bay and part of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Oyster beds in our estuaries, along with eelgrass beds, seaweed beds, sand shoals, and rocky areas, support a diverse suite of invertebrates, seaweeds, fish, birds, and marine mammals.
In the 20th century, our bays and estuaries were filled in and developed, becoming fragmented and polluted, leaving less and less substrate for Olys to colonize. Over the last hundred years, their population has been decimated and the important work Olys were silently doing to filter and clean water, buffer and protect shorelines, and feed people and wildlife was reduced dramatically.
The Coastal Conservancy and many partners are working to restore native Oly populations on the west coast. From San Diego Bay to San Francisco Bay, innovative projects are installing and monitoring reef elements made of cement and oyster shell to test different siting, elevations, materials, oyster reef types, and different combinations of habitat elements to foster Oly population growth.
Beyond restoration, we are working to reconnect Californians with our native oyster through:
- A workforce development program for community college students that will focus on ecology, engineering design, restoration methods, and monitoring of nature-based shoreline adaptation.
- A shell recycling program to increase the supply of clean shell material for restoration and as a method to educate and involve the public in oyster restoration and living shorelines.
- Convening scientists, restoration practitioners, community-based organizations, tribes, landowners, and public agencies to develop and share guidance for innovative nature based shoreline adaptation.
- An outreach campaign with TNC to raise the profile of the Oly through online resources, media coverage, public events, educational tools, and conferences.
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