When restaurants closed in 2020, US oyster farmers were left with millions of unsold shellfish; six years later, a rescue programme has bought over 7 million oysters for 35 reef sites and helped protect more than 1,000 aquaculture and related jobs

• What began as an emergency effort to help struggling growers has since developed into a conservation programme that uses farmed oysters to rebuild damaged marine habitats.
• According to an October 26, 2026, report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Supporting