The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been awarded 20 million dollars to help restore oysters in the Apalachicola Bay

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been awarded 20 million dollars to help restore oysters in the Apalachicola Bay.

The grant is from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund which was created after the BP oil spill to “benefit the natural resources of the Gulf Coast that were impacted by the spill.”  

The grant will fund a 5 year project called Apalachicola Bay Oyster Reef Restoration, Phase II.

The project includes 2 years working with the FSU oyster project to determine where and how to start rebuilding the oyster bars.

FSU will provide critical water quality and hydrodynamic information so the FWC can place the oyster bars in the best location.

The last 3 years will be actually placing oyster substrate in the Bay and hopefully building 1000 acres of productive oyster reef.

The project also includes developing management rules to insure the sustainability of the restored reefs.

Historically, the Apalachicola Bay produced about 90% of Florida’s harvested oysters and 10% of the product for the entire nation.

Oyster resources in the Bay have plummeted in recent years due to a number of factors, including a reduction in freshwater from the Apalachicola River. 

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