Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration receives additional USD 6.3 million in funding

The Nature Conservancy and The Pew Charitable Trusts announced its Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) project has received USD 6.3 million (EUR 5.8 million) in additional funding.

SOAR aims to restore coastal ecosystems, foster a thriving aquaculture industry, and increase diversity and equity within the oyster aquaculture industry. The new funding builds upon the initial USD 5 million (EUR 4.6 million) phase one of the SOAR program.

Phase two will build on its initial USD 5 million (EUR 4.6 million) investment through a USD 3 million (EUR 2.7 million) grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, and USD 3.3 million (EUR 3 million) from Builders Initiative. “Supporting shellfish farmers from underrepresented communities to expand innovative, environmentally friendly business practices that also help restore marine habitat is a win-win,” Pew Charitable Trusts U.S. Senior Officer Of Conserving Marine life Aaron Kornbluth said.

One part of the new funding will support the SOAR Purchase Program to buy oysters directly from growers and deploy them in oyster reef restoration projects across the U.S.

“Oysters – whether farmed or wild – are environmental powerhouses, improving water quality, providing wildlife habitat, and protecting against erosion,” The Nature Conservancy Senior Marine Restoration Scientist Boze Hancock said. “This sets shellfish growers up to be one of our strongest allies in the recovery and protection of oyster reefs.”

The remaining funds will be allocated to the SOAR Shellfish Growers Resiliency Fund, which according to The Nature Conservancy invests in marine conservation efforts, increasing economic opportunities for shellfish farmers, and improves diversity and equity in the oyster aquaculture and conservation industries. Combined, the two SOAR programs will work to mitigate climate change and build resilience in the future of the aquaculture industry.

“After seeing the extraordinary benefits of leveraging farmed oysters in restoration sites, it became clear to us that this model of collaboration between the aquaculture sector and ecosystem restoration has the potential to be scaled in the U.S. and around the world,” The Nature Conservancy Lead for Global Aquaculture Robert Jones said. “As we expand the scope of the project, we’re eager to realize the potential of partnering with farmers on conservation and consider where and how we might apply the model next.”

The Nature Conservancy and The Pew Charitable Trusts launched SOAR with NOAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2020. Within its first two years, the Purchase Program redirected 3.5 million oysters from farms at 25 sites, encompassing 40 acres of oyster reef and supporting 125 shellfish companies. This effort preserved more than 450 jobs.

The project will take a step further in its next phase and offer more opportunities to farmers and organizations. The fund and the Builders Initiative will create 50 additional industry-led projects, focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion and restoration projects to benefit underrepresented communities.

“Supporting shellfish farmers from underrepresented communities to expand innovative, environmentally friendly business practices that also help restore marine habitat is a win-win,” Pew Charitable Trusts senior officer Aaron Kornbluth said. 

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy