Jetty Rock Foundation

05/29/2026

We sadly lost an amazing partner and friend to Jetty Rock in early April. Capt. Al Modjeski of American Littoral Society was involved from very beginning of our JRF oyster initiatives and a star in our film, The Oyster Farmers. He will be greatly missed in the restoration world and beyond. We're sending our warmest wishes to his family, friends and colleagues today as they Shellabrate his life.

Thank you Capt. Al.

05/28/2026

Ending National Oyster Month with a chat about spat! 🦪 🦪 🦪

Have you heard of the term "spat" or "spat on shell"? That's the official name for a baby oyster! Once these tiny larvae are ready to stop swimming, they ideally find a hard surface (another oyster shell preferred) to attach themselves for life and begin growing.

By keeping your shells out of the trash through various shell recycling programs and partners, you are providing the base baby oysters need to build the reefs of tomorrow. Through our partnership with the Ocean County Soil Conservation District and local farmers like Laughing Gull Oysters, we are able to plant spat-on-shell onto restoration reefs as part of the ongoing COASTAL Grant Project.

Happy National Oyster month! Lets keep protecting our coast, one shell at a time!

05/26/2026

Farm Tour Time!
Did you know farms all over the country offer up close and personal tours of their farming operations? Think brewery tour but you might be knee deep in water and you sample oysters instead of beer. If you want to gain a deeper appreciation for the hard work that goes into growing your favorite oyster find a farm who offers tours and get out on the farm. you wait for the tide to recede to venture out onto the lease to learn and sample. Sometimes low tide is at night!

05/20/2026

No Brain? No problem!
It’s true... oysters do not have a brain. BUT don’t let that fool you. They are survival experts and while they can’t swim away from predators (they are “sessile,” meaning they stay put once they land), they have a heart, stomach, and kidneys.
They also pack a punch for your health! Oysters have the highest naturally occurring levels of Zinc, an essential mineral for your immune system.
Who needs a brain when you’re a nutrient-dense, water-cleaning powerhouse?

05/15/2026

For week two of National Oyster Month we are highlighting how oysters are the hardest working shellfish in the bay. A single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water in just 24 hours.
As bivalves (mollusks with two shells), they act as natural water purifiers, removing excess nutrients and keeping our coastal ecosystems crystal clear. This is why Jetty Rock Foundation is so committed to putting recycled shell back in the water! More shell means more habitat for more oysters, more oysters mean cleaner waters for all of us.

05/08/2026

Starting National Oyster Month off by reviewing the species you might encounter at your favorite restaurant.

Did you know that every oyster you eat, grown from Maine down to the Gulf of Mexico, is the exact same species? While they taste different based on where they're grown (that’s the "merroir"!), they are all Crassostrea Virginica (The Eastern Oyster).

Across the rest of North America, there are 5 species widely grown you're likely to see on raw bar menus:

- Eastern (Our local hero!)
- Pacific
- Kumamoto
- Olympia
- European Flat

No matter the name on the menu, if it's grown on the East Coast, it’s likely a Virginica!

05/05/2026

Just in time for National Oyster Month! Check out this awesome article by The SandPaper about our partnership with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Fish & Wildlife shell recycling program!

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve has partnered with the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife to collect discarded oyster and clam shells from the public to subsequently use for oyster reef enhancement efforts. JCNERR, in Tuckerton, is ...

05/01/2026

May is National Oyster Month, and at the Jetty Rock Foundation, we know these bivalves are more than just a tasty snack. They are the ultimate coastal defenders!

Every week this month, we’re diving into Oyster 101 to show you why we’re so obsessed with all things oysters, from shell recycling and reef restoration, to anatomy and taste. Follow along to learn more about these ecosystem badasses and find out how we can work together to improve our waters!

04/22/2026

Every day is Earth Day for the Crew! 🌍

We do a lot here at Jetty Rock but we love our environmental work especially. JRF’s commitment to the planet isn't just a seasonal trend and we work closely with our local oyster, aquaculture, and environmental organizations to help support a thriving, sustainable coastline.

We are proud to support shell recycling programs, oyster and aquaculture research, and advocate for the long-term health of our marine ecosystems. Whether we're hosting a festival or out on the water, we’re working to ensure that the environment that sustains us is protected for generations to come.

Photo Credit:

04/20/2026

Another One for the Books! 🦪 🐚 🌊

Last week, the JRF Crew teamed up with the Rutger's Aquaculture Innovation Center (AIC) in Cape May to host Stafford School's 4th grade classes for an immersive day of learning. Students had hands-on encounters with local shellfish, learned how we grow algae for those shellfish to eat, dissected oysters to learn their anatomy, along with a few games outside for good measure. Safe to say these students had an awesome day!

Through our ongoing Gear for Grades initiative, Jetty Rock is proud to sponsor these trips alongside our incredible partners at AIC.

A huge thank you to everyone who made these educational days possible. We’ll wrap up our Gear for Grades trips for the year with our upcoming 5th grade trips to Barnegat Oyster Collective and 6th grade Eco-Trip to Barnegat Light!

Want to learn more about Gear for Grades and how you can support our mission, click the link in our bio!