Here are 27.2 million reasons to celebrate National Oyster Day

Trying to figure out how to celebrate National Oyster Day (August 5)? 

Answer: Support the Alabama Coastal Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program

Oyster shells collected through this program are going back into Alabama waters to help more oysters grow, provide habitat, limit erosion and improve water quality.

Big oyster shell recycling numbers

Since October 2016, the Alabama Oyster Shell Recycling program has recycled the following amount of shells:

• 27.2 million shells
• Equals the weight of 571 elephants 
• Equals the weight of 6,853 manatees
• Number of dump trucks filled with oysters – 432
• Acres of reef restored – 95.6

How can you get involved? While on the coast support the following participating restaurants and festivals that collect the shells for the program.

• ACME Oyster House
• Bayside Grill @ The Grand Hotel
• Bluegill Restaurant 
• Cobalt, The Restaurant 
• Felix’s Fish Camp Restaurant
• Flora-Bama Lounge
• Flora-Bama Ole River Bar
• Flora-Bama Yacht Club
• Fort Morgan Oyster Festival
• Grand Weddings @ the Grand Hotel
• Half Shell Oyster House, Mobile
• Half Shell Oyster House, Spanish Fort
• Mobile Bay Experience the Oyster Celebration
• Montgomery Oyster Festival
• Original Oyster House, Causeway

• Original Oyster House, Gulf Shores
• Papa Rocco’s Pizza & Oysters
• Ralph and Kacoo’s
• Red or White, Mobile
• Sea-N-Suds Restaurant
• Shuck Cancer South Alabama
• Southern Roots @ The Grand Hotel
• Tacky Jacks, Gulf Shores
• The Lodge at Gulf State Park
• Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar
• Voyager’s at Perdido Beach Resort
• Wintzell’s, Mobile Airport Boulevard
• Wintzell’s, Mobile Downtown
• Wintzell’s, Saraland

Join ACF’s Shuck a Buck campaign

Don’t have a restaurant nearby? Support the program through the Alabama Coastal Foundation’s Shuck a Buck fundraising campaign. If ACF can raise enough funds they can expand the program northward to Auburn, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

“If we raise enough support, we will begin collecting oyster shells from restaurants in the Birmingham area next year. That local investment will help further improve Alabama’s economy and environment.”

ACF’s Executive Director Mark Berte

Donate today to Shuck a Buck at: joinACF.org/donate

Also, check out March 2025 The Bama Buzz story about the importance of oysters, titled Restoring oyster reefs: Alabama’s coastal revival