The texas parks and wildlife department was awarded $8,223,567 will collaborate with local partners to select, construct, and monitor at least 20 acres of oyster reef throughout the mission-aransas…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $8,223,567 Cooperative Agreement under the Habitat Conservation program (CFDA 11.463) to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). This funding will enable TPWD to collaborate with local partners to select, construct, and monitor at least 20 acres of oyster reef throughout the Mission-Aransas Estuary near Corpus Christi, Texas. The project aims to expand a network of protected oyster reserves that will provide a long-term source of larvae for nearby reefs, increasing the resilience and sustainability of the habitat and fishery. The project involves community-based restoration and education activities to engage the local community in oyster biology, ecology, and habitat conservation. TPWD has sub-awarded portions of the grant to the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, The Nature Conservancy, and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc. to support various aspects of the oyster reef restoration and community engagement efforts.

The texas parks and wildlife department was awarded $8,223,567 will collaborate with local partners to select, construct, and monitor at least 20 acres of oyster reef throughout the mission-aransas estuary near corpus christi, texas. The work will expand a network of protected oyster reserves that will provide a long-term source of larvae for nearby reefs, increasing the resilience and sustainability of the habitat and fishery. Community-based restoration and education activities will engage the local community in oyster biology, ecology, and habitat conservation.