“The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will. "
- Theodore Roosevelt -
Coastal Conservation
The Oyster Bed LLC is proud to promote coastal conservation as a fundamental part of our business operation. For this reason, we were the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 “Gulf Guardian Award” and have formed lasting bonds with coastal conservation non-profit organizations nationwide. In fact, you too can help with this effort – and save money on your order – by using any of the coupon codes listed below alongside information on each of our conservation partners!
Conservation Partners
Alabama Coastal Foundation
The mission of the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is to improve and protect Alabama's coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation. One of these initiatives is oyster shell recycling. 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. ACF collects oyster shells from restaurants and helps put that important resource back into the water so they can help new oysters grow.
Receive 15% off with Coupon Code: "ACF"
We Donate $5.00 to Alabama Coastal Foundation
Billion Oyster Project
Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives. New York Harbor School, a maritime high-school located on Governors Island, is the flagship school of the Billion Oyster Project, and its students contribute to Billion Oyster Project as part of their Career and Technical Education experience—growing oysters, designing and building oyster reef structures, diving to monitor reefs, operating boats, performing marine biology research, and more.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "BOP"
We donate $5.00 to Billion Oyster Project
Chesapeake Oyster Alliance
The health of the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population is critical for a restored Bay. Oysters are a keystone species, filtering water and providing essential habitat for other important Bay species.
The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance is a multi-year effort designed to spark governmental action, public attention, and funding to accelerate ongoing oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. The ambitious goal of this collaborative effort is to add 10 billion oysters by 2025 in Virginia and Maryland waters.
Save 15% with Coupon Code "COA"
We donate $5.00 to Chesapeake Oyster Alliance
Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is a non-profit organization whose mission is to drive bold, science-based action to rebuild coastal Louisiana through outreach, restoration and advocacy. CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program collects shell from New Orleans-area restaurants and uses that shell to restore oyster reefs that help protect Louisiana’s eroding coast line. Launched in June 2014, this is the first program of its kind in Louisiana, and it has collected thousands of tons of oyster shell.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "CRCL"
We donate $5.00 to Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
The ECSGA represents over 1500 shellfish farmers from Maine to Florida. These proud stewards of the marine environment produce sustainable farmed shellfish while providing thousands of jobs in rural coastal towns.
The ECSGA informs policy makers and regulators to protect a way of life.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "ECSGA"
We donate $5.00 to East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Galveston Bay Foundation
The mission of the Galveston Bay Foundation is to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come. Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program promotes a sustainable Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population by returning shucked oyster shells from local restaurants back to Galveston Bay. The Oyster Shell Recycling Program preserves a valuable resource while providing partnership opportunities and hands-on volunteer opportunities for schools, Scouts, and other groups seeking community service and research. By returning shucked oyster shells to Galveston Bay, GBF is working to ensure a healthy oyster population.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "GBF"
We donate $5.00 to Galveston Bay Foundation
Keep Pensacola Beautiful
They work strategically with community partners to educate and advocate. Implementing programs that advance the environmental quality and beauty of Escambia County's community, today and for future generations.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "KPB"
We donate $5.00 to Keep Pensacola Beautiful
Martha’s Vineyard Shell Recovery Partnership
Each year the MV Shellfish Group works towards re-establishing oyster populations island-wide. This is done by returning shell to the local waters. Often there is a shortage of available shell on Martha's Vineyard, forcing MVSG to seek and sometimes purchase recycled shell from the mainland. Shell donors (i.e. restaurants/businesses) can look forward to reducing dumpster waste volume and contributing in a positive way to the restoration of oyster beds.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "MVSR"
We donate $5.00 to Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group
Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United
Originally established as the Mississippi Gulf Coast Fisherman's Organization, Inc. in 1974, MSCFU serves to protect the common interests of Mississippi's commercial fishing industry; promote sustainable fisheries through leadership in stewardship; and advocate on behalf of commercial fisherman, fishing businesses and consumers of the resources the industry provides.
Save 15% with Coupon Code "MSCFU"
We donate $5.00 to MSCFU
Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Founded in 1930, the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) represents growers in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii.
PCSGA works on behalf of its members on a broad spectrum of issues, including environmental protection, shellfish safety, regulations, technology and marketing.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "PCSGA"
We donate $5.00 to PCSGA
Oyster Recovery Partnership
The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that plans, promotes and implements science-based and sustainable shellfish restoration, aquaculture and wild fishery activities to protect the environment, support the economy, and preserve the cultural heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. ORP created the Shell Recycling Alliance in 2010 to reclaim shell, free of charge, from restaurants and other seafood businesses. Shell that otherwise would be dumped in landfills is now recycled, cleaned, treated with baby oysters and put back into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "ORP"
We donate $5.00 to Oyster Recovery Partnership
Oyster South
Oyster South is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that connects communities and provides resources to foster the success of oyster farming in the Southern United States.
Vision: To spotlight and expand the environmental and economic benefits of oyster farming in the South, which will increase sustainable seafood production, improve the health of our waters, increase the prosperity of our coastal communities and elevate appreciation for Southern farm-raised oysters.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "OS"
We donate $5.00 to OysterSouth
San Leon Oyster Fest
The San Leon Oyster Fest is a non profit 501©3 educational and environmental restoration organization whose mission is to protect, restore and sustain oyster reefs in Galveston Bay, educate the general public on the importance of the ecosystem, protect the oyster industry, and to collaborate with other agencies to achieve our goal.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "SLOF"
We donate $5.00 to San Leon Oyster Fest
Shell to Shore
Shell to Shore collects and recycles oyster shells from all around the state of Georgia for use in green-infrastructure projects along the coast in conjunction with a diligent and energetic group of volunteers, partners, and collaborators. They then cure them for 6 months before hauling them to the coast to build living shorelines and oyster reefs.
Save 15% with Coupon Code: "S2S"
We donate $5.00 to Shell to Shore
Sink Your Shucks
HRI (Harte Research Institute) is working in key interlocking areas to restore our degraded oyster reef habitats: Researching the best practices for restoring degraded reef habitat; teaching the public about the value of recycling oyster shell to build new reefs; and assisting with research and training for the Texas aquaculture industry that can take vital pressure off existing reefs.
Save 15% with Coupon Code "SYS"
We donate $5.00 to Sink Your Shucks
Tampa Bay Watch
The Shells for Shorelines program is a collaborative initiative with the Gulf Region Oyster Network. This program is generously funded by Duke Energy, Neptune Flood, and a $1,141,971 grant through NOAA and Restore America’s Estuaries. Utilizing recycled shells from local restaurants they rejuvenate oyster reef habitats. Transforming discarded oyster shells into valuable ecological assets essential to the bay’s ecosystem and restoring critical oyster reef habitats in Tampa Bay.
Save 15% with Coupon Code "TBW"
We donate $5.00 to Tampa Bay Watch
Archaeologists have ample evidence that they have been enjoyed since the dawn of humanity….so we’re not unique in our love for this delicacy! They, like more than 80% of the world’s human population, thrive in the littorals. Fortunately for us, they do a much better job than humans at keeping the environment healthy. As a keystone species they form the foundation for healthy coastal estuaries, filtering more than 50 gallons of water a day and supporting every form of aquatic wildlife. When oyster reefs are healthy, so is the environment. In fact, just a century ago oysters were so abundant in the Chesapeake Bay (our nation’s largest estuary) that its entire volume was filtered approximately once a week and visibility exceeded 50 feet!
While the Chesapeake is America’s largest estuary, the Gulf of Mexico actually supports the largest remaining wild oyster harvest in the world. Though worldwide production of oysters totals nearly 3.7 million tons, 60% is consumed in the United States. The Gulf yields 70% of the shrimp and oysters caught in the U.S. and supports more than 30% of the nation’s recreational fishing trips annually. The commercial and recreational fishing in the Gulf depends on the health of the ecosystem, which is largely affected by the health of the oyster reefs. At the same time, the largest port system in the world (from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge - which supports more than 20% of the nation’s waterborne commerce) is also dependent on the health of this ecosystem and its ability to provide a buffer to tropical storms and hurricanes. Unfortunately, in the last 25 years, Louisiana has lost an equivalent of one football field per hour in coastal erosion.
Fortunately, Oysters reefs provide a type of protection for our nation’s coastlines unlike any other. They are self sustaining and reduce the energy of high power waves as much as 76 to 93 percent. These facts are contributing to a greater awareness about the value of the oyster and its reefs, leading to oyster restoration and recycling efforts nationwide, 17 of which have been formed along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf coast.
With worldwide production of oysters totaling nearly 3.7 million tons, this produces roughly 7,400,000,000 pounds of shell and despite recycling initiatives, many tens of billions of oyster shells end up in landfills every year. At the same time, our oyster fishermen buy and transport hundreds of thousands of tons of crushed concrete and limestone into our estuaries every year in an attempt to create the foundations for new reefs.
Thankfully, The Oyster Bed is helping both raise awareness about these issues and also incentivize consumers to cook and eat oysters without the shell - enabling shucking houses and fishermen to return these shells to the places where they’re desperately needed - our estuaries.