Shell Bank: An Oyster Shell Recycling Program for the Texas Coastal Bend

Summary

The mission of the expanded Shell Bank Project is to reclaim and stockpile more than 750 cubic yards of shell annually for use in future restoration projects by targeting restaurants and seafood wholesalers in the Texas Coastal Bend. In CMP Cycle #14, the project began its pilot phase in Corpus Christi. In CMP Cycle #15, Texas A&M Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) seek to expand shell recycling efforts by partnering with Alby's Seafood, a large seafood wholesaler in the Rockport-Fulton area. Transport of oyster shells from Corpus Christi restaurants (~ 4 cubic yards per trip) to the Shell Bank repository on Port of Corpus Christi property will be conducted twice weekly by TAMUCC student employees using a truck and flatbed trailer. Larger volumes (~300 cubic yards per trip) of shell will be transported twice during the project from Rockport-Fulton using contracted movers. Following Texas Parks and Wildlife Department protocols, oyster shells will be quarantined for a minimum of 1 month for disease elimination before use in restoration projects.