NFWF Grant Profile

Houston Wilderness and Galveston Bay Oyster Reefs & Migratory Bird Habitat (GBOMB) Initiative partners will create opportunities for increases in oyster reefs and other aquatic habitat by creating 3-4 additional Living Shorelines (LS) that include initial establishment of new oyster reef areas to stabilize bottom sediments, reduce wave energy, improve hydrology in Galveston Bay and prevent erosion. These additional LS will fortify wetlands to serve as natural levee systems that can provide billions worth of storm protection annually to Gulf Coast businesses and communities. The cleaner water provided by oyster-based LS is also important for recreation and tourism, an industry worth more than $20 billion in the Gulf Coast. Living Shorelines with oyster reefs provide habitat for numerous bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates, which in turn provides food for larger game fish, a food chain that benefits commercial and recreational activities.