Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana announces next Oyster Shell Reef Deployment in Montegut

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is calling for volunteers for their next Oyster Shell Reef Deployment on Friday, September 22, 2023, and Friday, September 29, 2023 in Montegut.

“This will be the fifth reef we have finished and our second project in partnership with the Pointe-au-Chien Tribe,” explained Communications Director James Karst. “The land around this area is vanishing rapidly, and is currently experiencing some of the fastest rates of land loss in the world. Pointe-au-Chien came to us several years ago and asked if we could partner with them to help prevent this and we were happy to. These reefs are so important because we are not only protecting the land, but also locations that have major cultural significance to the tribe and are currently in danger.”

Karst explained that the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana has received 120 tons of oyster shell from New Orleans restaurants, and will be using those to create a natural reef around the land. “The oysters are placed in biodegradable bags and then stacked into a wall like Legos,” explained Karst. “This time we will be adding onto the base of an oyster reef we had previously built.”

Oyster reefs have a number of positive benefits for both the local community and the environment. “Baby oysters naturally grow on the old shells, so oyster reefs become a sort of ‘living shoreline,'” said Karst. “Oyster reefs also significantly slow down wave action, minimize storm surge, reduce rate of erosion, and adapt for sea level rise. We have seen a major impacts on areas of land where we build these oyster reefs, so we are very excited for this upcoming deployment.”

Volunteer positions are currently open and going quickly, so sign up soon here. For more information and to stay up-to-date on volunteer opportunities, please visit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Facebook or website