This project will convene an array of partners—from academia to commercial oyster growers, state managers, NGOs and more—to synthesize knowledge and develop recommendations on how restoration projects should be designed, implemented, and monitored.
Over the years, oyster restoration in Mobile Bay has advanced through multiple projects and funding streams, however much of the relevant knowledge is dispersed across agencies, universities, NGOs, oyster growers and more. What is needed is a forum that brings together diverse sectors and communities to share knowledge and lessons learned from existing restoration projects to determine how best funding for restoration should be used going forward.
In this project, Mobile Baykeeper and Dauphin Island Sea Lab will launch the Mobile Bay Oyster Consortium and hold in-person and virtual convenings to:
- examine scientific and practice-based knowledge relevant to oyster restoration;
- review the current policy and regulatory landscape that shapes restoration; and
- evaluate restoration approaches and recommend what kinds of projects should be prioritized.
The Consortium will then co-develop a shared oyster restoration framework for Mobile Bay to guide restoration decisions and monitoring methods.
This project was funded in August 2026 as part of the 2026 Ocean Biodiversity Program Regional Engagement Grants.
