Community Restoration Event Date Announced for Sink Your Shucks™ Oyster Shell Recycling Program

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Sink Your Shucks oyster shell recycling program will host its annual community oyster reef restoration event at Goose Island State Park this May, giving volunteers a hands-on opportunity to return recycled oyster shells to Texas bays.

Managed by the Coastal Conservation and Restoration Lab at the Harte Research Institute (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), Sink Your Shucks™ has spent nearly two decades advancing oyster reef restoration along the Texas Gulf Coast through partnerships with restaurants, oyster farms, and local communities.

The volunteer event will take place Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. During the family-friendly event, volunteers will bag recycled shell and place the bags into the bay, where they will help form oyster reefs. These shells provide vital substrate (or base) for oyster larvae to attach and grow, helping rebuild reefs that improve water quality, protect shorelines, and provide habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp, and countless other marine life.

The event will also feature interactive educational booths where children can learn about oysters, coastal habitats, and restoration.

Registration is requested for all volunteers at: https://forms.gle/esT9FVKTi62fEqKm8.

In addition to the public event, Sink Your Shucks will host a private student-only restoration day with school groups from Rockport-Fulton ISD, Seashore Middle Academy, and Marvin Baker Middle School, giving students the opportunity to participate directly in coastal restoration.

“It’s incredible to watch volunteers turn a pile of recycled shells into something that will support marine life for decades,” explained Stephanie Tierce, Sink Your Shucks Program Coordinator. “Every shell recycled and placed back in the water is an investment in the future of our bays.”

The program, started in 2009, currently collects oyster shells from 14 partner restaurants, three oyster festivals, and six oyster farms across the Coastal Bend, San Antonio, and Austin regions for use in reef restoration projects.

At the 2025 community restoration events, more than 400 volunteers filled and placed over 2,900 bags of shell — returning an estimated 47,488 pounds of recycled oyster shell to local bays.

For a full list of participating local restaurants that recycle oyster shells, visit: sinkyourshucks.org.