Vertical Oyster Garden Program
What is a Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG)?
Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) consist of recycled oyster shells strung together on a wire that hang down from docks along the river. The VOGs create habitat for new oysters along with many other species of marine invertebrates.
St. Johns Riverkeeper is partnering with the Jacksonville University Marine Science Institute, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Florida, and the Riverview Collective Community Organization to install VOGs along the St. Johns River and its tributaries in the Jacksonville area.
Plants, animals, and natural systems provide significant benefits to us and our communities. The “ecosystem services” provided by nature include pollination, air and water purification, erosion and flood control, and climate regulation. One unsung hero is the oyster. Besides being a popular seafood, oysters make our waterways healthier and our communities more resilient.
Did you know oysters have superpowers?
- A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, and a 1-acre oyster reef can filter 24 million gallons of water per day. They improve water quality and clarity by removing algae, organic matter, and excess nutrients.
- Oyster reefs create habitat for hundreds of aquatic species, including commercially and recreationally valuable fish species.
- Oysters capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Oyster reefs are natural buffers against coastal erosion and storm surges. As oyster shells cluster, they reduce wave energy and help protect shorelines from the full force of storms.
Unfortunately, oyster reefs are one of the planet’s most imperiled marine habitats, with more than 85% of natural reefs lost due to overharvesting, disease, and pollution.
That is why we launched the VOG Program and are partnering to construct an oyster reef at Riverview Park, which is on the Trout River in Jacksonville, FL.
St. Johns Riverkeeper “adopted” Riverview Park in 2023 as part of the Resilient Ribault initiative, and continues to work to improve waterways in the Ribault, Moncrief and Trout River watersheds.
Become a Volunteer
Sign up to be a Vertical Oyster Garden volunteer! We will notify you when opportunities arise to volunteer at a VOG workshop to help create VOGs, and other related volunteer opportunities.
Sign Up to Get Involved
If you are interested in participating in the VOG program, your dock will need to be located in a section of the St. Johns River watershed where salinity levels will support the growth of oysters.