Coastal nonprofit aims to restore Mobile Bay with 5M oysters by 2028

Since 1950, more than 80% of Mobile Bay’s oyster population has vanished. That absence was once staggering, but now, Mobile Baykeeper has a plan to restore Alabama’s coastline by 2028.

The Oyster Keepers Program works with locals to turn residential piers into beacons where oysters grow, reproduce and help strengthen the bay. What started in 2023 with a handful of oyster reefs has turned into an initiative to return 5 million oysters to Mobile Bay in the next few years.

By signing up for the program, local private homeowners are able to get involved with large-scale oyster restoration. Each pier “garden” consists of 10 cages with 50 recycled oyster shells per garden, according to Mobile Baykeeper.

“It’s going to take effort on the part of the whole community for us to reach our goal of 5 million oysters by 2028, but we’re optimistic. So, far the community has been incredibly supportive and engaged with this program. And that’s a testament to the public’s understanding of how critical oyster reefs and oyster populations are to the health of our ecosystem.”

Caine O’Rear, Mobile Baykeeper Communications Director

What results is a measurable impact on Mobile Bay’s ecology:

• 20-40 baby oysters inoculated on each recycled shell
• Up to 1,000 oysters are able to grow in each cage over a six-month growing season
• Each garden can grow as many as 10,000 oysters that can be placed in Mobile Bay

One little oyster may not seem like much at first glance, but oysters have a massive influence on the health of Mobile Bay. Oyster reefs provide habitats for crabs and fish, reduce shoreline erosion and filter pollutants, according to Mobile Baykeeper.

Today, 44 pier owners are involved in the project. The Oyster Keepers Program has all the piers it needs for 2026, but folks who are interested in getting involved can sign up for Mobile Baykeeper’s newsletter to stay connected.

Program participants commit to simple, weekly maintenance of the cages, and Baykeeper staff visit each site monthly to provide support, track progress and ensure the oysters are thriving.

So far, the project has added hundreds of thousands of oysters to Coastal Alabama:

• 2023: 40,000 oysters; pilot program with four oyster gardens located on Dauphin Island and on Bon Secour Bay
• 2024: 60,000 oysters; more pier owners invited to the program
• 2025: 240,000 oysters
• 2027: goal of 500,000 oysters
• 2028: goal of 5 million oysters

To learn more about the program or get involved, visit the Oyster Keepers Program webpage.

Keep up with progress toward the 5-million-oyster goal by following Mobile Baykeeper on Instagram and Facebook.

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