Why Oysters
Oysters are beneficial to the Chesapeake Bay and the regional economy! As filter-feeders, oysters’ eating habits clean water of excess nutrients and sediments, improving clarity and quality. Oyster reefs provide valuable habitat, food, and protection for other marine species so they can grow and prosper. And oyster harvesting, distribution, and dining supports thousands of businesses Bay-wide.
Shell Recycling
Oyster shell is the best, most natural material used to rebuild oyster reefs and it’s in short supply. To save this ecologically important byproduct, ORP created the Shell Recycling Alliance in 2010 to reclaim shell, free of charge, from restaurants and other seafood businesses. Shells that otherwise would be dumped in landfills are now recycled, cleaned, treated with baby oysters and put back into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
ORP is now the nation’s largest shell recycling network, annually collecting tens of thousands of bushels of shell from approximately 200 restaurants and 70 public drop sites in the mid-Atlantic region. Since the Alliance’s launch, ORP has reclaimed 340,000 bushels of shell, enough to support the planting of over 1.73 billion oysters in local waters.
Volunteer to Grow Oysters
Want to improve the health of your local waterway by growing oysters at your dock or community pier and then planting them on sanctuary reefs? Join ORP’s free Marylander’s Grow Oysters (MGO) program and be part of a powerful network of 2,000 volunteers growing oysters in 35 Bay tributaries!
Sustainable Fisheries
ORP promotes the responsible harvest of fish and shellfish from the Chesapeake Bay, contributing to a flourishing seafood sector, bolstering the regional economy, and safeguarding the vibrant heritage of waterfront communities. Our efforts encompass advancing the stewardship of Maryland’s fisheries while providing assistance to both watermen and the expanding aquaculture sector. Our objective is to establish a harmonious outcome that benefits everyone participating in the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry.
Dine at Shell Recycling Restaurants
Visit the Bay-friendly businesses who go out of their way to recycle oyster shells.
Recycle Shells at Public Drop Sites
With over 70 locations in Maryland, there’s a public drop site near you!
View KEY PARTNERS
See the strong network of partners who work together to restore the Chesapeake’s keystone species.
Top 10 Shell Recycling Alliance Restaurants of 2025
ORP’s Shell Recycling Alliance is comprised of Bay-friendly businesses that go above and beyond, dutifully recycling oyster shells to be used in Chesapeake restoration efforts. Shell is an increasingly limited,…
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PRESS RELEASE: Derelict Gear Project in Severn and South Rivers
Thousands of Abandoned Crab Pots, Other Derelict Gear, Targeted Local Watermen Using Grappling Hooks to Retrieve Lost Gear Annapolis, March 4, 2025 —The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) has launched a…
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