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How Shucked Shells Can Help Save The Oysters

Jennifer Pollack
Texas A&M Corpus Christi graduate student Meghan Martinez and research associate Natasha Breaux transfer a tray of discarded oyster shells into a recently restored oyster reef in St. Charles Bay.

From Texas Standard:

While many diners delight in slurping the slimy meat out of an oyster, less attention goes to the oyster shell. Typically, they’re thrown away and end up in landfills.

But in Corpus Christi, a group of marine biologists are "shucking" that trend and teaming up with local restaurants to recycle the shells.

Jennifer Pollack, an associate professor of marine biology at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi co-founded Sink Your Shucks, which partners with local restaurants to return the shells to Gulf of Mexico and help restore degraded oyster reefs.

Pollack says oyster larvae attach themselves and grow on top of the used oyster shells.

Written by Rachel Rascoe.

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