Volunteers build oyster reefs on Hilton Head Island. Here's how its helping the environment
Not only are the reefs protecting the environment, they're also protecting the shoreline.
Not only are the reefs protecting the environment, they're also protecting the shoreline.
Not only are the reefs protecting the environment, they're also protecting the shoreline.
If you've enjoyed oysters on Hilton Head Island recently, there's a chance your oyster shells are now back in the water benefitting the environment.
"If you were to eat at any of our great local seafood restaurants...all the restaurants in Sea Pines recycle the shells," said Jean Fruh, Executive Director of the Outside Foundation.
For several years, volunteers have been taking oyster shells from places like restaurants and using them to build oyster reefs.
The reefs not only protect the environment but also the shoreline.
"This is how community can make a difference," Fruh said.
Fruh told WJCL the reefs they're building help put a stop to erosion by serving as a barrier of sorts to oncoming boat wake energy and storm energy.
"So when water is forced through all these nooks and crannies, what happens is that force is dissipated and absorbed," Fruh said.
Beyond putting a stop to erosion, the reefs provide habitat to up to 120 different species.
"These [bags of oyster shells], when placed in our reef, will actually create a new habitat for baby finfish, shrimp, crab, or larval oysters," Fruh said.
Even though the shells are empty when they're assembled at the shoreline, Kevin Swain with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's SCORE program said they typically don't stay that way for long.
"I would say we'll probably get spat settlement here, which is those larval oysters settling on these oyster shells, within I would say a month sometime," Swain said.
Once an oyster is fully grown, it can filter up to 2.5 gallons of water an hour.
"So it's really remarkable. They protect our shoreline, they create a habitat, and they help filter our water," Fruh said.
The newest reef is expected to recruit more than 450,000 oysters over the next year or two.
The benefits of the reef will be evident for years to come.
"These will be here when my kids and grandkids are here," Swain said. "Someone can be a part of this and see the benefits and actively participate in them, go fishing on these reefs, that kind of stuff. So it is really cool to see."