Fishing foundation pitches oyster‑shell recycling and "vertical oyster gardens" to Tequesta advisory committee

At a Village of Tequesta Environmental Advisory Committee meeting, Mr. Tomifford of the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation proposed an oyster shell recycling and restoration program that collects discarded restaurant shells, cures them at a MacArthur Beach State Park station and suspends cured shells beneath docks as "vertical oyster gardens." He said the program is intended to boost local oyster habitat and help improve water clarity.

The program relies on restaurant partnerships and volunteer installers. "We collect shells from local restaurant partners," Tomifford said, "we cure them in the elements for about six months and then use those recycled shells for locally based restoration." He described partners including the Breakers Resort and a wholesale supplier, Cotton Capers, and said the foundation has built a curing station that can hold at least 20,000 pounds of shell and has already collected more than a ton.

Tomifford emphasized the ecological role of oysters. He told the committee that oysters are a keystone species that filter large volumes of water and provide habitat for fish and invertebrates: "One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day," he said, adding that suspended gardens avoid the sediment smothering that has degraded seagrass and benthic reefs in the Lake Worth Lagoon and nearby rivers.

The technique Tomifford described strings cured oyster shells on stainless‑steel cable and suspends them in the intertidal zone beneath docks and boardwalks. He said this form of restoration avoids placing material on the bottom — a key distinction because, he noted, bottom‑placement projects require environmental permits from agencies that regulate submerged lands. "Vertical oyster gardens don't require an environmental permit when suspended from a privately owned dock or public boardwalk," Tomifford told the committee, while also cautioning that any bottom work would require permits from the Corps of Engineers, the South Florida Water Management District or the owner of the bottom.

Committee members asked about siting, boat interference and maintenance. Tomifford said installations must be kept out of navigation lines and spaced two to three feet apart to avoid fouling problems, and he described an installation guide and volunteer training he offers to ensure correct placement and elevation. He also described a monitoring plan: each garden is tagged and periodically re‑weighed to track oyster recruitment.

Tomifford framed the proposal as a low‑cost, community‑engagement project. He urged the committee to consider public workshops — similar to ones the Village of North Palm Beach runs — where residents can build gardens for distribution and installation. "It's a win across the board," he said, citing landfill diversion, public participation and habitat benefits.

The committee did not vote on formal adoption at the meeting but discussed including the program in strategic‑plan recommendations to council. Staff confirmed the utilities department and the park have been supportive of prior restoration projects at MacArthur Beach State Park, and Tomifford said the park director had been helpful in obtaining space for the curing station.

Next steps: committee members were invited to visit a North Palm Beach engagement event, consider recommending the project as a strategic priority and coordinate with staff on outreach and volunteer training before the committee's December workshop.