The pandemic’s impact on the oyster industry has been widely reported, but the ripples reach even further: The oyster restoration groups that rely on recycled shell as homes for new baby oysters have had to play catch-up. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Oyster Recovery Partnership have increasingly turned to public oyster collecting over the last year. Cheryl Costello reports from a “shell shaking” event where discarded shells become habitat for future oysters. Watch below:
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Oyster recyclers are playing catch-up after the pandemic put a dent in shell collection. Image: Cheryl Costello