Mobile Baykeeper is working to restore oyster populations in Mobile Bay and waters across Coastal Alabama through our oyster restoration programs:

Oyster Keepers Program - Our hands-on reef restoration initiative that engages the community by activating waterfront property owners' piers into a place where oysters grow, reproduce, and help strengthen the Bay.

 

Oyster Planting Project - Where we work with industry partners and government agencies to restore tidal creeks and shorelines across Coastal Alabama by creating new oyster reefs and rebuilding ones that have been lost.

But we can't do this work alone. We need folks like you to help us revive our waters through volunteering with our oyster crew or lending us your piers. 

Without oysters, water stays murkier, pollution lingers longer, and the habitat young fish and crabs depend on disappears. The loss of oyster reefs does not just hurt the ecosystem. It affects fishing, swimming, and the way families and communities experience the bay every day.

Join us in restoring our oyster population and defending our way of life for us and future generations. 

We have several volunteer opportunities, from Oyster Keeper site maintenance to shell bagging events.

This is hands-on work, but you'll see firsthand how oyster restoration happens and directly work toward our goal of restoring oyster populations in Coastal Alabama.

We've got all the volunteers we need for this year. Sign up below to hear about future oyster volunteer opportunities.

Through Oyster Keeper, our hands-on reef restoration initiative, we engage the community by activating waterfront property owners' piers into places where oysters grow, reproduce, and help strengthen the Bay.

Volunteers help us:

• Clean oyster cages 
• Remove any dead oysters 
• Check for predators like blue crabs and oyster drills 
• Clean the shell strings 
• Count and measure the baby oysters growing there

Qualifications 

You must be able to lift 50 pounds and work outdoors in summer heat and humidity.

Through Oyster Keeper, our hands-on reef restoration initiative, we engage the community by activating waterfront property owners' piers into places where oysters grow, reproduce, and help strengthen the Bay.

Volunteers help us:

• Clean oyster cages 
• Remove any dead oysters 
• Check for predators like blue crabs and oyster drills 
• Clean the shell strings 
• Count and measure the baby oysters growing there

Qualifications 

You must be able to lift 50 pounds and work outdoors in summer heat and humidity.

Volunteers gain hands-on experience working with the shell and getting it prepared to be planted on our restoration reefs while also learning about oyster aquaculture from our local oyster farmers.

Volunteers help us:

• Clean shell 
• Bag shell  
• Work with aquaculture gear

You will get the chance to lay the foundation for the future reefs of Coastal Alabama and provide a home for oysters for generations to come.

Qualifications 

You must be able to lift 50 pounds and work outdoors in summer heat and humidity.

We have reached our goal of 50 piers for the 2026 Oyster Keepers season. That means we will not be adding new piers this year.

But we are just getting started.

If you have a pier in the approved location and you want to become an Oyster Keeper, fill out the form below. We will contact you when we begin recruiting for 2027. Recruitment will likely begin in October. If you do not hear from us until then, do not worry. By submitting the form, you are on the list.

Restoring our waters takes people who are willing to step up. If you have a pier and want to use it to strengthen our waters, we would be glad to have you in the next round.

We have reached our goal of 50 piers for the 2026 Oyster Keepers season. That means we will not be adding new piers this year.

But we are just getting started.

If you have a pier in the approved location and you want to become an Oyster Keeper, fill out the form below. We will contact you when we begin recruiting for 2027. Recruitment will likely begin in October. If you do not hear from us until then, do not worry. By submitting the form, you are on the list.

Restoring Mobile Bay takes people who are willing to step up. If you have a pier and want to use it to strengthen our waters, we would be glad to have you in the next round.