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To: Bluedot Living
From: Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, Inc.
Subject: Shells Aren't Waste: They’re Future Oyster Habitat and Healthier Ponds
Since its inception in 2011, MVSG’s Shell Recovery program has diverted about 60,000 gallons (250 tons) of bivalve shells from the waste stream into Martha’s Vineyard salt ponds, where oyster populations uphold the health and resilience of these brackish estuaries. MVSG recycles shells from restaurants, caterers, and recreational harvesters. Shells cure in the sun for one year, before we return them to the Great Ponds to support shellfish habitat, resulting in improved water quality. Shells are an essential ingredient for oyster habitat restoration. Rather than sending this material to landfills, the shell is collected, cured, repurposed, and returned back into Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. MVSG uses cured shell for “cultching” (depositing shell) in the Great Ponds to (a) harden soft-bottom environments, provide substrate for wild oyster spat, and buffer against acidic conditions; and (b) create hatchery-reared oyster spat-on-shell for the ponds. Together, these efforts harness oysters’ natural filtering capabilities to help clean the ponds and restore ecological balance.
Shell recycling is one of the most effective and accessible ways to support local climate resilience by bolstering oyster populations, improving water quality, and strengthening overall ecological health. The next time you see a David A. Merry & Sons excavator piling shells onto a barge at Sepiessa Point in West Tisbury, or Wilson’s Landing in Edgartown, swing over and say hi. Ask us how you can get more involved by supporting coastal pond conservation efforts.
How To Recycle Your Shells for Oyster Habitat:
- Buy or harvest shellfish: Any bivalve (clam, oyster, scallop, mussel, raw or cooked), please no crustacean shells.
- Shuck it, eat it, and place shells in a bucket (free of trash).
- Bring your bucket of shells to the John T. Hughes Hatchery & Research Station (old Lobster Hatchery) at 57 Shirley Ave, Oak Bluffs. 24 hours a day, we have a shell toter sitting next to the building’s sign. Dump your shells and off you go to enjoy the Island!
Like To Eat Shellfish at a Restaurant?
- Check out our website to see the up-to-date list of commercial Shell Recovery partners. Support these establishments and support our efforts as well!
- Encourage their continued participation. Tell them how much you appreciate the time they take to help our ponds.
- Next time you are enjoying shellfish at a Vineyard establishment, ask them if they recycle their shells with MVSG!
