Resources:
- Connecticut Shellfish Restoration Guide (version 1; updated December 2022)
- Shell Recycling Regulatory Guidance and BMPs (June 2022)
- Shell Recycling Locations (August 2022)
- Interactive Shellfish Restoration Map Viewer (April 2022)
State examples of shellfish restoration planning:
Learn More About CT’s natural shellfish beds:
Much like corals in tropical waters, shellfish, especially reef forming species such as oysters, create habitats that provide a safe nursery, shelter and foraging grounds for fish and invertebrates, they filter and clean the water and stabilize shorelines. The harvest and cultivation of shellfish along our shores provides local food, jobs, contributes to the maritime economy, and shellfisheries are an important part of the state’s history and culture. The state’s shellfish populations and the marine environment in which they are found have been impacted by natural and anthropogenic factors, and not all shellfish populations are in optimal condition to support ecosystem services, fisheries and aquaculture as they have in the past. Any reduction in bivalve shellfish population or loss of habitat results in a subsequent loss of the ecological, economic and cultural benefits derived from those shellfish.
Did You Know?
- The native Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is the state shellfish
- Filter-feeding shellfish are nature’s water purifier
- Shellfish production is so important to the state that it designated certain natural beds to be protected as a source of oyster seeds for the aquaculture industry.