Florida Keys Oyster Shell Recycling and Repurposing Project

Breve descripción

The Florida Keys Oyster Shell Recycling and Repurposing Project will turn oyster shells discarded by local restaurants into a valuable resource for potential restoration and reuse efforts. Led by a collaborative Community Team of county, municipal government, and Department of Environmental Protection staff located in the Florida Keys, the project aims to create a plan that can evolve into a self-sustaining, community-supported initiative delivering lasting benefits for both people and coastal ecosystems, while promoting local reuse, reducing environmental impact, and supporting area businesses. The Community Team seeks assistance from scientist(s)/researcher(s) on oyster shells, preferably in oyster shell recycling programs, to help shape the project plan. 

Descripción

Acerca de la Comunidad

The Florida Keys are a 220-mile island chain extending off the southern tip of Florida, situated between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The Keys lie within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, with some of its islands under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State Parks, and Aquatic Preserves. Home to more than 50,000 residents, the Keys attract millions of visitors each year. In recent years, extreme environmental events, including record-breaking ocean temperatures and coral bleaching, have sparked increased interest among residents and local businesses in adopting sustainable practices and contributing to solutions that protect the region’s marine environment.

The project’s Community Team initially connected through shared involvement in waste-reduction initiatives, and is united by both professional responsibilities and personal commitments to sustainability. The project concept stemmed from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, building on other oyster shell recycling programs elsewhere in the state. The Community Team brings expertise in recycling and engaging local businesses, experience with environmental projects, knowledge of oyster shell collection and transport logistics, and familiarity with state-level resources, including identifying potential curing sites and exploring permitting and reuse pathways for oyster shell materials.

Sobre el proyecto

The Florida Keys Oyster Shell Recycling and Repurposing Project will turn oyster shells discarded by local restaurants into a valuable resource for potential restoration and reuse efforts. Led by a collaborative Community Team of county, municipal government, and Department of Environmental Protection staff located in the Florida Keys, the project aims to create a plan that can evolve into a self-sustaining, community-supported initiative delivering lasting benefits for both people and coastal ecosystems, while promoting local reuse, reducing environmental impact, and supporting area businesses. 

The Community Team seeks assistance from scientist(s)/researcher(s) on oyster shells, preferably in oyster shell recycling programs, to help shape the project plan.  

The Community Team, with the assistance of scientist(s)/researcher(s), will develop a plan that includes:

• Choosing and evaluating shell reuse in environmental and/or engineering applications.
• Identifying suitable site(s) for the months-long shell curing process.
• Identifying and applying for permits needed for curing and shell reuse applications.
• Developing efficient collection and transportation methods to the curing site(s). 

Calendario e hitos

Prior to TEX Engagement

• Established a core project team and held regular meetings.
• Researched shell collection and reuse programs.
• Researched potential restaurant and community partners.
• Created a pilot shell collection program.
• A 350 lb batch of shells has been curing since February/May of 2026 and needs to be transferred to a (yet-to-be-identified) program site. 
• Applied to start a Thriving Earth Exchange project.

Months 1-4 

• Community Team and Community Science Fellow matched.
• Scientist(s)/researcher(s) recruited and onboarded to the project team.

Months 5-8

• The scientist(s)/researcher(s) provide a draft plan.
• The project team provides feedback on the draft plan.
• Final plan approved.
• Curing site selected.
• Permit process started.

Months 9-12

• Permitting process complete.
• Shells begin the curing process by the end of month 12.

Months 13-18

• Results published. 
• Shells are curing or cured.
• Shells deployed for local recycling or reuse project(s).

Equipo del proyecto

Líderes comunitarios

Alyssa Panzer is the Village of Islamorada’s Grants and Environmental Coordinator. Her journey in the Keys began in 2019 with a nonprofit internship and has since woven through recreational jobs, nonprofit work, state government, and now local government. She enjoys collaborative, creative projects and using experiences in nature to promote sustainable practices in all facets of modern life. 

Keely Kessler is the City of Key West’s Recycling Coordinator. She came to the Keys in 2010 and fell in love with this unique island chain. Keely has a long history of environmental stewardship in the Keys and believes that collective involvement is essential to positive change. Her goals are to educate and connect with the community, showing that reducing consumption and recycling are essential to preserving and protecting the city and its surrounding ecosystems. 

Melody Tuschel is the Recycling Coordinator for Monroe County, Florida, where she leads innovative programs to expand recycling, reduce food waste, and advance sustainable waste management across the Florida Keys. She has developed and implemented impactful initiatives, including Skip the Stuff, community food-scrap collection and composting sites, free tire-recycling events, and holiday-light recycling programs, helping to divert waste and reduce environmental impact in a region with unique logistical challenges. In 2025 alone, Monroe County’s food waste programs diverted over 24,000 pounds of organic material from landfills.

Becario científico comunitario

Kristin Bayans is a science communicator, a nonprofit wrangler, and a chronic noticer of small things. Her career has threaded through museums, marine reserves, conservation nonprofits, and professional science networks, building projects alongside communities. She wants to make science accessible to people of all abilities, in ways they can connect to and care about.

Se busca científico

The Florida Keys Oyster Shell Revival Project is seeking scientist(s)/researcher(s) to help develop a robust oyster shell collection, curing, and repurposing plan based on local conditions. 

Because the Florida Keys are a unique environment, the scientist(s)/researcher(s) will design a custom plan for this specific area and review the project’s results as an independent third party. This project is multidisciplinary, and the project team is seeking expert(s) with backgrounds in ocean life, habitat restoration, nature conservation, and/or public health.

Competencias y cualificaciones deseadas:

• Comfort working remotely: You can work off-site while staying active and keeping the project moving forward and on time.
• Knowledge of oyster shell lifecycles: You know how they are formed and break down.
• Experience with oyster shell recycling: You have worked with programs that collect, clean, and reuse shells.
• Knowledge of the Florida Keys: You understand the unique ecosystems, space constraints, and management agencies found in the Keys and South Florida.
• Experience handling government permits: You know how to work with environmental and other permitting agencies to get legal permission for moving, storing, and using materials that could be considered animal by-products, fill, and/or recycled material that have not been used at that location.
• Knowledge of moving and tracking materials: You understand how to manage the logistics of picking up, transporting, and storing biological by-products.
• Reliable communicator: You answer emails and calls promptly, meet deadlines, and are easy to work with. 
• Ability to explain science plainly: You can explain scientific methods and data so that everyday people can easily understand them. 

Thriving Earth Exchange asks all scientific partners to work with the community to help define a project with concrete local impact to which they can contribute as pro-bono volunteers and collaborators. This work can also position the scientists and communities to seek additional funding, together, for the next stage. Unsure if you’re the right fit for this project? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] to learn more. 

¿Le interesa trabajar como científico voluntario? ¡Inscríbete ya!

Collaborating Organizations

City of Key West, Florida

The City of Key West is the municipal government office and provides essential public services, including utilities, public safety, code enforcement, resiliency and climate programs, preservation, and park maintenance, among others. 

Monroe County, Florida

The Monroe County, Florida, office governs the Florida Keys and parts of the Everglades and provides essential services, including emergency management, public works, permitting, and environmental resources.

Islamorada Village of Islands, Florida

Islamorada Village of Islands is an incorporated municipality in Monroe County, Florida Keys. The local government office provides essential public services, including environmental conservation, tourism and cultural promotion, and basic public safety and compliance.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s regulatory agency for environmental management and stewardship, enforcing laws and conserving Florida’s natural resources, as well as managing public lands and waste programs.