Restoring habitats that support fisheries, ecosystems, and resilient coastal communities.
Healthy fisheries depend on healthy habitats. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant leads science-based habitat restoration and applied ecological research that strengthen Georgia’s coastal ecosystems while supporting the communities that depend on them.
By restoring oyster reefs and other fisheries habitats, we improve water quality, enhance biodiversity, reduce shoreline erosion, and increase coastal resilience, helping communities better withstand environmental change while sustaining working waterfronts and local livelihoods.
Oyster Restoration
Oyster reefs are critical fisheries habitat, providing shelter and feeding grounds for many commercially and recreationally important species. These reefs support popular recreational fishing for spotted sea trout, red drum, and black drum, as well as commercial harvests that sustain coastal economies. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is rebuilding oyster reefs along Georgia’s coast to strengthen fisheries, improve water quality, and enhance coastal resilience in highly dynamic environments.
Shell Recycling and Community Engagement
A key component of oyster reef restoration is We Recycle Shell, a statewide oyster shell recycling initiative of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the nonprofit organization Shell to Shore.
With help from restaurants and the public, reclaimed oyster shells are returned to Georgia’s estuaries, where they provide the foundation for new oyster reefs and create opportunities for community engagement and environmental learning.
Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience
By attenuating wave energy, stabilizing shorelines, and improving water quality, oyster reefs act as natural infrastructure that reduces erosion and buffers coastal communities from storm impacts. These nature-based solutions enhance resilience by working with natural processes rather than against them.
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant integrates ecological research, monitoring, and adaptive management to ensure restoration projects deliver measurable resilience benefits alongside fisheries and habitat gains.
