Long Island Sound (LIS) is home to some of the few remaining sustainable oyster habitats globally. Oysters provide critical environmental benefits and are also a significant economic driver. According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, 17,000 acres of natural seed beds help power a $16 million shellfish industry (at farm-gate value) and support over 300 jobs. It was due to the significance of these oyster habitats that they received protected status along the coast during the 1880s. The beds have faced ongoing challenges from both nature and human activity, impacting their condition despite protective efforts. The most considerable threat in the last decade has stemmed from increased silt flowing onto oyster habitat via rivers following rainfall. Siltation can lead to the mortality of mature shellfish populations and inhibit the recruitment of larval oysters by covering essential shell substrate. To support the restoration of Connecticut’s oyster habitats, a 2021 CT Public Act (PA 21-24) established oyster shell recovery as a key priority.
Connecticut Sea Grant (CTSG) extension worked with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to initiate an oyster and clam shell recycling initiative to support the restoration of the state’s oyster beds. CTSG secured funding for a state shell recycling coordinator in 2022. The recycling coordinator’s work to facilitate shell recycling opportunities was informed by a Shell Recycling Interest Survey completed as part of a related grant, and a Shell Recycling Committee comprised of interested individuals and partner organizations across the state. As a result of the Shell Recycling initiative, several outputs were created including: an Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Policies, a Regulatory Guide for Practitioners, a draft policy document on recycling shells from public beaches, and public engagement presentations and displays aimed to raise public awareness.
The most significant accomplishment of the initiative to date was in 2023, a new NGO, Collective Oyster Recycling & Restoration (CORR) became the first permitted entity to collect shells from restaurants, cure them, and make them available for shellfish bed restoration in Connecticut. Between July 2023 and May 2025, 672,271 pounds of oyster and clam shell were recovered by CORR; 190,000 pounds were purchased and used in 2024 by the state to enhance and rehabilitate oyster beds. Shell has also been used for other restoration projects and shell recovery, and recycling programs continue to expand across the state.