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Ecological consciousness rarely gets as
easy as enjoying a meal and helping purify Tampa Bay at the same
time. Thanks to an ingenious new partnership between Tampa Bay
Watch and Crabby Bills restaurants, you can do just that. What
began as an effort by restaurant owner Bill Loder to find a way to
save money on waste disposal morphed into a project to help save
the health of the bay. Loder was looking for an alternative use for
the literally tons of oyster shells his restaurants generates as
patrons consume fresh oysters. Peter Clark, executive director of
Tampa Bay Watch, always is seeking ways to further the group's
mission of protecting and restoring the marine and wetland
environments of our namesake resource, the open water estuary that
extends from the Skyway Bridge to the shores of Safety Harbor and
Oldsmar. Oyster shells are the best natural resource for recreating
one of the key elements in keeping the Bay water clean -- oyster
reefs. Oyster communities are natural purifiers, feasting on
elements that otherwise would cloud the water. Oysters need a hard
surface, however, to anchor themselves and begin their life cycle.
Muck and sludge smother them. Enter the artificial oyster bar
program, using the very best natural material for the purpose,
oyster shells.
Restored oyster bars are believed to rival
coral reefs in providing habitat for marine life. Man-made reefs
attract new oyster growth, with each oyster filtering up to 10
gallons of water per hour, stabilizing bottom sediments and
reducing wave energy, Tampa Bay Watch said.
Loder said the idea of saving money on
waste disposal didn't really work out. He said the savings are
about a wash as the restaurant chain pays staff to collect and
truck the shells to a site in Fort De Soto Park, where they are
allowed to cure in the sun before being assembled in net bags for
reefs (see a photo essay on reef building on Page 14). However,
Loder added that he has seen an unanticipated benefit as restaurant
management and staff have become enthused about contributing to
saving the health of the Bay.
Last year community volunteers helped
Tampa Bay Watch install 97 tons of oyster shell in several areas of
the bay. Previously, most of the shell material was purchased from
area shell mines. Crabby Bills estimates its Indian Rocks Beach
location alone generates one ton of oyster shells each week, making
a significant contribution to reducing the amount of shell that
must be purchased and mined. Furthermore, the shells from the
restaurant no longer add to local landfills.
Tampa Bay Watch recently has constructed
shell reefs at Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg and this
month is building a reef near Williams Park in Riverview. Clark
said there are no immediate plans for installing reefs in upper Old
Tampa Bay, although the organization has an active derelict crab
removal program in the area. The group works with local
environmental and government agencies to select locations for
projects. With recent reports of declines in grass beds and water
quality in the area north of the Courtney Campbell Causeway, upper
Tampa Bay certainly should be ready for additional reefs.
Meanwhile, enjoy fresh oysters with a new appreciation of how your
dinner can help restore the bay.
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Front Page 
Op-Ed 
