Oysters

The environmental department is seeing more seagrasses and wave protection from an oyster reef they installed just offshore of their current Philippe Park project a few years ago.

Wild oysters are being pulled from the waters of Apalachicola Bay after a five year break, but only for a short season. Restaurants are selling out almost as fast they get them.

Manatee County is a significant contributor to Florida’s shellfish aquaculture sector, which supports over $29 billion in sales revenue and more than 400 jobs throughout the state’s economy.

Six million pounds of ancient oyster shells from a Charlotte County mine are now a thriving 3-acre reef in the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. It is among the latest oyster reefs restored by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

Apalachicola Bay opened Jan. 1 for a brief season lasting through the end of February. It's the first time the bay has opened for commercial harvesting since 2020, when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission closed the area due to declining oyster reefs.

While the industry has been drilling in ultra-deepwater for years, 20K allows access to wells previously deemed too risky. They say the fallout of another large-scale spill could be catastrophic for the environment and coastal economies.

Areas of the bay will be open to permitted commercial harvesting on weekdays, with permitted recreational harvesting on weekends.

From sponges to timber to oysters, the Forgotten Coast has proved adaptable — can it again?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved a management plan for a partial reopening for wild oyster harvesting at the beginning of January

During their meeting Thursday, commissioners agreed to open a limited 94-acre harvesting area to any fisher that qualifies.

A "lottery" has been suggested to limit permits. Restrictions could also include a harvesting season from October through February and more.

On "Florida Matters," we hear from two WUSF journalists about their reporting — from local residents experiencing flooding months after Hurricane Milton to the restoration of a local spoil island in the Hillsborough River.