Shucks! Did you know you can help make our waters healthier by eating oysters?

Here's a pearl of an idea (to use an obvious pun) that we hope takes hold all around the state. The folks in the picture are volunteers and environmental experts from Lake County (over in the middle of the state) who recently moved 10,000 pounds of oyster shells to Fort De Soto Park to help replenish oyster habitat off our coast. Here's the interesting thing: the oyster shells came from a Lake County oyster bar restaurant. They're what's left over after hungry customers slurp down the yummy critter inside.

Apparently, there's science behind all this. Seems that tiny little oyster larvae float around in the water (who knew?).  Given the opportunity, they'll attach themselves to oyster shell and grow big and strong in a couple of years. Oysters are good for our waters. They help prevent algae blooms. They strain excess nitrogen (from fertilizer runoff) out of the water. Algae loves nitrogen (but you knew that).

A story in The Orlando Sentinel details the whole project. If you're an oyster lover, you ought to read it and encourage your favorite oyster bar to join in the effort to recycle. You could become a great environmentalist just by ordering the oysters.