In 2004, dredged fossil oyster shells were used to create an 85-acre oyster reef network in Virginia’s Great Wicomico River. Rather than creating artificial structures from concrete or metal, the project rebuilt the riverbed with shell material that could allow young oysters to settle and grow.
The result was successful over the following years. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, later monitoring estimated that the restored reefs supported about 76.2 million live oysters, which was significant for the restoration of the oyster population in the US.
