NAPLES, Fla. - An oyster restoration project could be the answer to improving water quality in the Naples Bay.
The City of Naples completed the first site of the restoration project last week. The project has been in the works for several years, but construction only took a few months to complete.
The project included creating 24 oyster reefs that went into the Naples Bay. Three chevron barriers were also added to protect the oyster reefs and mitigate boat wake.
  

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“Oysters are great filters. Each oyster can filter between 10-50 gallons of water per day," said Naples' Natural Resources Manager, Dr. Stephanie Molloy.
Molloy said the oysters will be able to filter nutrients and toxins in the water, which can include red tide plankton and blue green algae, if they are present. 
 
“We’re looking to restore some of that ecosystem function back into the bay and help improve water quality," Molloy said.
 
 
Before the 1950s, the Naples Bay had about 50 acres of oyster reef habitat along the bay, according to the city. A study found that due to urbanization over five decades, the number of oyster reefs decreased by 80 percent. 
 
The restoration project aims to add five acres of oyster reef habitat into Naples Bay.
 
The project was paid for through a $484,244 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center, Office of Habitat Conservation, Coastal Resilience Grant Program, as well as a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Coastal Management Program for $30,000.  
 
The city plans to complete two more restoration sites. One is under construction, and the other is on hold due to funding.
 
If you want to volunteer with the project you can contact Katie Laakonen at klaakkonen@naplesgov.com. 
 
 
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