Building Manufactured Wire Oyster Reefs in Murrells Inlet SC

Earlier in May, a group of volunteers from Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, SC along with guidance from SC Department of National Resources and South Carolina Oyster Recycling & Enhancement built 40 manufactured wire oyster reefs in Murrells Inlet SC.

Volunteers made the metal cages, spread oyster shells throughout the cage and sealed the wire cages.

Next week, the wire reefs will be deployed at the Belin Memorial United Methodist Church seawall and the public boat landing in Murrells Inlet. 

A few days after deployment, oysters will be attracted to the reefs and each reef could recruit up to 7,000 oysters. Every oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day.

The manufactured oyster reefs are great for the Inlet! 

  • A single oyster can filter up to  50 gallons of water per day. 
  • 120 types of fish and crabs make oyster reefs their home
  • Oyster reefs absorb waves during storms and help protect the shoreline. 
  • Oyster reefs provide a food for many animals (including humans 🙂)

How can you help?

  • Recycle your oyster shells
  • Volunteer to collect oyster shells from restaurants and events
  • Help create bags of recycled oysters
  • Volunteer at a oyster wire reef build or deployment
  • Help plant marsh grass behind new and existing oyster reefs to help restore the salt marshes 

These manufactured wire oyster reefs are built and deployed in Murrells Inlet and along the coast of South Carolina. You can contact SCDNR for volunteer opportunities. 

Volunteering at the wire oyster reef was such a wonderful and educational experience!! I would gladly do it again and cannot wait for the deployment next week. Have you ever volunteered at one of these events? Here’s a video of the building manufactured wire oyster reefs in Murrells Inlet SC.

Deploying Manufactured Wire Oyster Reefs in Murrells Inlet SC

A week after the manufactured wire oyster reefs were created, volunteers from Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, SC,  students from local schools and volunteers from Murrells Inlet 2020 deployed the manufactured wire oyster reefs that were made last week. SCDNR and SCORE (South Carolina Oyster Recycling & Enhancement) guided us through the deployment process. 

We started the process when the tide was lower so we could walk around and get the oyster reefs further out into the inlet. Several people worked on the grass lowering the wire oyster reefs to the people working in the inlet. From there, we worked in teams to move the wire oyster reefs to where they needed to be placed in the inlet. After all of the reefs were in place, we hammered in rebar to keep them from moving. It definitely was a team effort!

We placed 70 wire oyster reefs. Once covered in oysters, 1.2 million gallons of water will be filtered by the oysters on the reefs in one hour!

Next year, SCDNR with work with a local school to plant spartina grass to help with  erosion. This time next year, the area in front of Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet will look completely different!

Recycling Oyster Shells in Murrells Inlet SC?

Building and deploying the manufactured wire oyster reefs a few weeks ago was such an educational event for me! One of the things I learned was these manufactured oyster reefs could not be created without your help recycling your oyster shells.

Where Can You Recycle Oyster Shells in Murrells Inlet SC?

  • The Murrells Inlet Public Boat Landing – The boat landing is located between the Marshwalk and Belin Memorial United Methodist Church. The oyster recycling area is located towards Murrells Inlet Road by the church side.
  • Oyster Landing Road – As you are headed south on Hwy. 17, you will see Oyster Landing Road just before Huntington Beach State Park on the left side of the road. 

Tips for Recycling Oyster Shells

  • Separate your trash from the used oyster shells. Shells mixed with trash cannot be used for recycling.
  • Keep used oyster shells in a porous container to reduce odors.
  • Do not take oyster shells from recycling locations.

Building and deploying the manufactured wire oyster reefs in Murrells Inlet SC was a great experience and I would definitely do it again! I got to enjoy and improve our beautiful inlet, spend time with friends and meet a few new people! What questions do you have about the manufactured wire oyster reefs?

If you have ever thought about making this beautiful place home, download my Moving to Murrells Inlet Guide or let’s schedule a time to talk about your unique situation. You can also look at my pages about Murrells Inlet or Garden City Beach to learn more about the area.

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