Wild Oyster Project

08/27/2026

Saturday’s Volunteer Work Day was a huge success! 🌱💪 We weeded and leveled the land for our SF Drop Site, to prep it for the shell we receive from San Francisco restaurants. A major thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for their hugely helpful handiwork! We hope you’re all marking your calendars for our next work day at the REAP center in Alameda on Sunday, September 13th! Register on eventbrite using the link in our bio, we can’t wait to sea you there!🦪🌊

08/27/2026

Saturday’s Volunteer Work Day was a huge success! 🌱💪 We weeded and leveled the land for our SF Drop Site, to prep it for the shell we receive from San Francisco restaurants. A major thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for their hugely helpful handiwork! We hope you’re all marking your calendars for our next work day at the REAP center in Alameda on Sunday, September 13th! Register on eventbrite using the link in our bio, we can’t wait to sea you there!🦪🌊

08/20/2026

Join us at Lillie Coit's Fourth Annual Oyster Day:
Sunday, August 23rd, noon - 1AM
1707 Powell Street in San Francisco

North Beach brasserie Petit Lil's is closing the street in front of their restaurant to celebrate oysters in a big way. You'll enjoy several varieties of fresh Point Reyes oysters while sitting in the fresh air with a creative cocktail. With the purchase of 6 oysters you will receive 6 more for free.

Wild Oyster Project will be there to talk about oysters and gather every shell to be recycled. Each one goes toward restoring oyster reefs and shoreline habitat.

Come hang out in North Beach with the ostreophiles!

08/07/2026

🪸 Species ID Challenge! 🦀

Think you know your SF Bay biology? Time to put your ID skills to the test! 🌊

We’ve gathered a carousel of some cool critters from COSMOs of late, and your mission is simple: identify as many species as you can! 🔍

The first one should be a gimme... although it might throw you off since it’s the largest specimen of its kind we’ve found so far, measuring up at a whopping 54 cm! 👀

Drop your guesses in the comments and see how many you can get right. Bonus points if you know the scientific names! 🦪

We’ll reveal the answers soon, good luck! 

07/28/2026

🦪 Aw Shucks! Wild Oyster Project August 2026 Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/92ff6d59747e/aw-shucks-wild-oyster-project-october-newsletter-10346138

07/26/2026

An occasion for ostreophiles is approaching! 🦪🍷

Broad Street Oyster Co. and Wild Oyster Project are gathering to celebrate National Oyster Day! Join us on Saturday, August 1st for a guided tasting featuring three California oysters paired with incredible wines from Benevolent Neglect Wines, Matt Crutchfield, and Salty Goats.

We’ll be sharing all about our oyster shell recycling programs while savoring the delectable fruits of local vines and reefs.

• August 1st
• Broad Street Oyster Company in Ghirardelli Square
• Seatings at 3:00 PM & 4:30 PM
• $35 per guest (payment collected upon arrival)

A portion of proceeds supports Wild Oyster Project and our mission to restore the SF Bay’s native oyster habitat.

Reserve your seat through the link in bio.

07/23/2026

It’s , and the midshipman has made landfall just in time. ⚓️

Last Friday during our COSMO monitoring, our team stumbled upon the remains of a plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus), a distinguished toad fish native to the West Coast known to be one of the Bay’s most sonorous seafarers.

Named for the rows of light-producing organs along their bodies that resemble the brass buttons on a naval officer’s uniform, midshipmen are bottom-dwelling fish that report to rocky intertidal habitats each summer to breed. Males build nests beneath rocks and then produce a deep, continuous hum by vibrating specialized muscles against their swim bladder. This underwater serenade can last for hours and helps attract females to lay their eggs.

If you’ve ever heard a mysterious underwater drone around Sausalito on a summer night, you’ve probably heard a midshipman broadcast. Their unmistakable sound off has earned them the nicknames “California singing fish” and “humming toadfish.”

Keep your ears open on your next low-tide adventure, you never know what crooning sailors may be beckoning! 🎶🐟

07/15/2026

07/05/2026

🔎 At first glance, ulva umbrellas an unassuming quadrat, but a simple rock flip is all it takes to strike oyster gold! Beneath the sea lettuce lies a booming bounty of golden Olys just waiting to be unearthed.🦪

Our latest crew of COSMO volunteers from a local accounting firm traded spreadsheets for species surveys as they headed to Heron’s Head Park in search of ecological treasure. They muddied their boots prospecting for Olympia oysters and collecting valuable species richness data. Along the way, they uncovered a hidden mother lode of intertidal life, from shore crabs and colorful sponges to all kinds of tiny critters tucked beneath the rocks. Bonanza! 🦀

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated community scientists for helping us uncover a richer understanding of our shoreline ecosystems. We had a treasured time at the transect!

07/01/2026

This , we’re zooming in on the bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)! 🐟🌿

This slender swimmer is a master of camouflage, blending seamlessly among eelgrass blades where it finds shelter and food. Because bay pipefish rely on healthy eelgrass habitat, spotting one is often a sign of a thriving estuary. This is another perfect place to plug the purpose of oysters in promoting eelgrass photosynthesis by pulling muddying particles out of the water column!

Bay pipefish are also close relatives of seahorses, and they share one of the animal kingdom’s coolest parenting strategies: the males carry and brood the eggs until they’re ready to hatch!

We often find Bay pipefish hitching a ride in our Oyster Base Camp cages. Every lift of a cage offers a glimpse into the curious community of critters that oysters help support, and we’re always excited to meet who has moved in. 🦪🏠