Living on Earth Oyster Trash to Treasure, The Outlaw Ocean, A “Little Sea” with a Big Champion and more.
Aug 29, 2025
Ian Urbina, an investigative journalist and founder of The Outlaw Ocean Project, discusses the rampant lawlessness on the high seas, including illegal fishing and human trafficking. Jen Karberg, a senior wetland ecologist, unveils a unique oyster shell recycling initiative on Nantucket, which protects coastlines and revitalizes local ecosystems. Carlos Mayo Molina shares his efforts in Spain to grant legal personhood to the Mar Menor lagoon, highlighting grassroots movements for environmental protection. Together, they inspire a commitment to marine conservation.
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From Raw Bars To Reef Supply
- Nantucket restaurants generate mountains of oyster shells that are collected in blue buckets each morning for recycling.
- Staff cure shells for about a year so larvae can later use them to form new oyster reefs.
Seed Reefs With Recycled Shells
- Use recycled oyster shells and modular 'oyster castles' to seed intertidal reefs that attract wild oysters.
- Build small demonstration reefs first to prove ecological benefits before scaling and fundraising.
Reefs Protect Coasts And Homes
- Oyster reefs provide both water filtration and a physical buffer that protects eroding shorelines from storms.
- Restored reefs thus deliver combined ecological and property-value benefits for coastal communities.
