Wild Oyster Restoration in the San Francisco Bay

Future Oyster Island City

The Wild Oyster Project works to bring native oysters back to San Francisco Bay, by using current research and best practices of ongoing successful restoration projects, and by engaging the public through education and stewardship. Our oysters, the wild ones we are trying to save, are busy ecosystem engineers. They provide habitat for many critters such as salmon, smelt and crabs and beautiful birds like oyster catchers and egrets and scoters, and other organisms including a number of threatened and endangered species in the state of California. Oyster reefs benefit us all by filtering water and aiding to clean the Bay. 

Our oyster-loving communities are involved from the ground, or rather shore, up! They help to deploy oyster recruitment tools such as oyster gardens and act as citizen scientists by monitoring just how many baby oysters (spat) were enticed onto provided substrate to make it their permanent home. 

While we've taken on numerous large-scale projects, our Oyster Base Camp program serve as a cornerstone, providing essential data on thriving oyster locations. Together, we're bringing back oysters to the San Francisco Bay, one habitat at a time. Join us on this journey for a healthier, more vibrant ecosystem!

Oyster Necklace

Oyster Garden