Bluffton Rotary volunteers restore local oyster reefs

The Rotary Club of Bluffton restored oyster reefs along the May River on Aug. 16, continuing an annual project aimed at supporting the Lowcountry’s coastal ecosystem.

Volunteers, working with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, departed from the Alljoy Boat Dock at 8:30 a.m. to place wire structures filled with recycled oyster shells in designated reef areas. The shells serve as anchor points for new oysters to grow.

According to the club’s announcement, oysters filter algae and nutrients from the water, helping to prevent algal blooms. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, and the calcium in their shells stores carbon absorbed from the atmosphere.

The Rotary Club of Bluffton was chartered in 1988 and is part of a network of more than 46,000 clubs worldwide engaged in community and environmental projects. Its motto is “Service Above Self.”