MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND
ST. JOHNS RIVERKEEPER PARTNER TO RESTORE
OYSTER REEFS
R E S T O R I N G
THE
R E E F
FEATURES
MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND
ST. JOHNS RIVERKEEPER PARTNER TO RESTORE
OYSTER REEFS
Dangling throughout the St. Johns River, strings of recycled oyster shells quietly deliver an environmental transformation, filtering millions of gallons of water while simultaneously encouraging new oyster recruitment and creating underwater habitats teeming with life.
Vertical oyster gardens( VOGs) restore oyster reefs by supporting new oyster growth and creating habitat for hundreds of aquatic species. Attached to docks, each 10-foot line holds about 45 recycled shells.
The initiative, launched by the St. Johns Riverkeeper in 2024 in collaboration with Jacksonville University’ s Marine Science Research Institute( MSRI), Coastal Conservation Association Florida and the Riverview Collective, has already produced nearly 300 VOGs, with 159 deployed throughout the river.
When Dan McCarthy, professor of biology and undergraduate director of the MSRI, joined the project in early 2025, he recognized an opportunity. He began involving his marine ecology students, who are now monitoring the deployed VOGs each semester, visiting homeowners to assess colonizing organisms.
WAV E MAGAZINE | Spring 2026 33