The project involves planting a saltmarsh and an oyster reef. The first step was applying for a CAMA permit because we need to distribute oyster-shell cultch near the shoreline. 
We anticipate that oyster larvae will settle on the shell and a reef will be created by the end of the summer. We need a reef in the nearshore because IMS is adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway and the reef should protect the saltmarsh from boat wakes. The CAMA permit required us to jump through many hoops and as I write this it is still not signed (hopefully in a few hours). The new reef and saltmarsh should promote expansion of the adjacent seagrass meadow, provide important fish habitat, clean the water, and sequester carbon. Below, is a figure showing our final design.
