Restored Texas oyster reef aims to revitalize Galveston Bay after difficult season
GALVESTON, Texas - The Texas oyster harvest is over after another difficult season. Now, a private effort is restoring a damaged reef in San Leon, to show how important the shellfish is to Galveston Bay.
Nearly 400 tons of oyster shells are being dropped on a private 10-acre reef, just offshore, spearheaded by the Prestige Oyster company and Pier 6 Oyster House. The project is called Retts Reef, championed by Prestige owner Lisa Halili and bringing awareness to the neurological disease known as Retts Syndrome.
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The shells have been collected by the oyster restaurant since its 2020 opening. The reef was destroyed by Hurricane Ike, which dumped massive amounts of oyster-killing sediment.
Elsewhere, public oyster reefs have struggled to produce a reliable supply of the shellfish.
The shells will provide a foundation for new oysters and fish to gather and grow.
The shellfish provide a vital benefit to the bay's health by filtering the water, offering habitat protection, and helping protect the shoreline from erosion.
The project is a collaboration between Prestige, Pier 6, the Texas A&M Sea Grand and The Nature Conservancy.
Once the shells are placed on the reef, new oysters will begin to spawn almost immediately and marine life will follow after that.
Rett Reef's sponsors will watch and work to determine how it is making the water of Galveston Bay a little bit healthier.