Oyster Shells Help to Rebuild Shorelines
2021-07-15
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1When we eat some popular kinds of shellfish, namely clams, mussels and oysters, we leave behind large amounts of shells.
2Instead of throwing these shells into the trash, several projects around the United States now aim to put these shells back into waterways.
3The goal is to restore, or bring back, the natural environment -- a process called ecological restoration.
4In his article for The Associated Press, writer Wayne Parry describes this restoration as "the seafood circle of life."
5In the U.S. and around the world, shells discarded at restaurants and other businesses are being collected, cleaned and thrown back into waterways.
6The shells form a base for new colonies of sea creatures and help to protect coastlines.
7One of the latest projects with oysters takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
8Some businesses there save the shells.
9The state's Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, collects them.
10Then, workers and volunteers with Rutgers and Stockton universities cooperate with the Jetty Rock Foundation to load them onto boats and put them into the state's Mullica River.
11Those shells go back into the water to help form new or expanded oyster colonies.
12Free-floating baby oysters, known as spat, connect to the shells and grow on them.
13The Mullica River is home to one of the last self-sustaining oyster populations on the Atlantic coast, said Shawn LaTourette.
14He is New Jersey's leading environmental official.
15Scott Stueber is a fish biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection.
16He told the AP the ecological restoration project has already kept about 60,000 kilograms of shells out of landfills.
17It has also helped eateries save money on discarding their shells.
18The Mullica River project began in 2019.
19It aims to grow oysters for ecological purposes.
20However, it is also being studied as a possible commercial harvesting site in the future, the DEP said.
21While these projects do create new places to harvest and sell oysters for food, the main goal is to help improve the environment.
22In nature, oysters are cleaners.
23One adult oyster can remove pollutants from about 190 liters of water a day.
24So, experts say they can improve water quality.
25Oyster colonies also are being planted along some coastlines to strengthen shores.
26This protects against ocean storms and rising waters.
27Underwater, oyster colonies can weaken destructive waves headed for the shoreline.
28The Global Center on Adaptation explains on its website how oyster reefs can protect shorelines.
29Such reefs can also create homes for other sea life and provide food for humans.
30On its website, the organization describes ecological restorative efforts in Bangladesh.
31Communities, environmental groups and governments around the world have used oyster recycling and replanting in recent years.
32In the U.S., it is happening in other states.
33Each year in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation turns 70 cubic meters of recycled shells a year into oyster colonies.
34Since 2009, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University has collected about 800,000 kilograms of shells and restored about 100,000 square meters of oyster reef.
35Since 2015, New York's Billion Oyster Project has collected about 726,000 kilograms of shells from 75 restaurants.
36The organization has planted 13 oyster reefs across New York Harbor.
37There are similar projects in the U.S. states of Florida and Massachusetts, as well as in the Netherlands and Australia.
38I'm Anna Matteo.
1When we eat some popular kinds of shellfish, namely clams, mussels and oysters, we leave behind large amounts of shells. 2Instead of throwing these shells into the trash, several projects around the United States now aim to put these shells back into waterways. The goal is to restore, or bring back, the natural environment -- a process called ecological restoration. 3In his article for The Associated Press, writer Wayne Parry describes this restoration as "the seafood circle of life." 4In the U.S. and around the world, shells discarded at restaurants and other businesses are being collected, cleaned and thrown back into waterways. The shells form a base for new colonies of sea creatures and help to protect coastlines. 5One of the latest projects with oysters takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Some businesses there save the shells. The state's Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, collects them. Then, workers and volunteers with Rutgers and Stockton universities cooperate with the Jetty Rock Foundation to load them onto boats and put them into the state's Mullica River. 6Those shells go back into the water to help form new or expanded oyster colonies. Free-floating baby oysters, known as spat, connect to the shells and grow on them. 7The Mullica River is home to one of the last self-sustaining oyster populations on the Atlantic coast, said Shawn LaTourette. He is New Jersey's leading environmental official. 8Scott Stueber is a fish biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection. He told the AP the ecological restoration project has already kept about 60,000 kilograms of shells out of landfills. It has also helped eateries save money on discarding their shells. 9The Mullica River project began in 2019. It aims to grow oysters for ecological purposes. However, it is also being studied as a possible commercial harvesting site in the future, the DEP said. 10How does this help? 11While these projects do create new places to harvest and sell oysters for food, the main goal is to help improve the environment. 12In nature, oysters are cleaners. One adult oyster can remove pollutants from about 190 liters of water a day. So, experts say they can improve water quality. 13Oyster colonies also are being planted along some coastlines to strengthen shores. This protects against ocean storms and rising waters. Underwater, oyster colonies can weaken destructive waves headed for the shoreline. 14The Global Center on Adaptation explains on its website how oyster reefs can protect shorelines. Such reefs can also create homes for other sea life and provide food for humans. On its website, the organization describes ecological restorative efforts in Bangladesh. 15Communities, environmental groups and governments around the world have used oyster recycling and replanting in recent years. In the U.S., it is happening in other states. 16Each year in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation turns 70 cubic meters of recycled shells a year into oyster colonies. 17Since 2009, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University has collected about 800,000 kilograms of shells and restored about 100,000 square meters of oyster reef. 18Since 2015, New York's Billion Oyster Project has collected about 726,000 kilograms of shells from 75 restaurants. The organization has planted 13 oyster reefs across New York Harbor. 19There are similar projects in the U.S. states of Florida and Massachusetts, as well as in the Netherlands and Australia. 20I'm Anna Matteo. 21Wayne Parry reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English, adding information from the Global Center for Adaptation website. Bryan Lynn was the editor. 22______________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24ecological restoration - n. the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. 25discard - v. to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted 26self-sustaining - adj. maintaining or able to maintain oneself or itself by independent effort 27landfill - n. an area where waste is buried under the ground 28commercial - adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services 29reef - n. a chain of rocks or coral or a ridge of sand at or near the surface of water 30recycle - v. to pass again through a series of changes or treatments: such as