Did you know that a single adult Olympia oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day? Unfortunately, the population of native Olympia oysters along the California coast is a fraction of what it once was.
With the help of the World Surf League and Shiseido, Orange County Coastkeeper is working to restore native oysters in Southern California. At this year’s US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, Coastkeeper worked with dozens of volunteers to create over 100 new strings of recycled shells!
These shells are hung off local docks in hopes of attracting larval Olympia oysters to settle on the empty shells. After months suspended in the water, the shells with oyster spat are removed from the string and transferred to one of our restoration sites along the coast.
Watch this video to see these volunteers in action!
Looking for more information on oyster restoration? Visit our Olympia oyster webpage by clicking here.
