Welcome to Oyster River Ecology
"A nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing transformational ecological restoration projects in Southwest Florida."
ORE's 132-Acre Vision for the Manatee RIver
When the Manatee River was once known as the Oyster River, it earned that name. In 1876 it was described simply as, "Oysters, oysters everywhere." Just twelve years later, in 1888, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commissioned a map documenting approximately 132 acres of oyster reefs throughout the river.
Then, over the next 140 years, we slowly dismantled one of the river's most important ecosystems.
Navigation dredging altered the river's hydrology, shifting the salinity zones that had supported oyster reefs for thousands of years. Vast shell deposits, the very foundation on which new reefs naturally formed, were dredged and hauled away for road construction and development as the region grew. By the 1960s there was no longer enough shell left to harvest because it had already been removed. The construction of Lake Manatee in 1967 and the expansion of the Evers Reservoir in 1986 further reduced freshwater flows, compounding decades of change.
Today, no one alive has experienced a Manatee River with 132 acres of thriving oyster reefs. No one has seen the water filtration those reefs once provided or the abundance of fish, crabs, shrimp, and countless other species that depended on them. We've accepted the river as it is because we've forgotten what it once was.
That's exactly why Oyster River Ecology exists.
We grew tired of waiting for someone else to solve this problem. Instead of asking why it hasn't been done, we asked how it could be done.
Over the past decade we've worked to answer the biggest questions: Where can large oyster reefs be successfully restored? How can they be restored at a scale that actually matters? And how can we make it affordable enough to keep going until the job is finished?
Today, we have those answers.
The map shown here is not a collection of hopeful ideas or randomly drawn polygons. It represents more than a decade of field work, monitoring, experimentation, and refinement. These are locations where pilot projects have demonstrated success, where sediment conditions are suitable, food availability is high, and salinity is favorable for oyster growth while minimizing predation. These are places where we know restoration can work.
People often congratulate us on how quickly Oyster River Ecology has grown. The truth is, we're still a very small nonprofit. But we've proven that a small team with the right approach can restore oyster habitat at a scale few thought possible.
And we're nowhere close to finished.
Our goal isn't to be the biggest restoration organization. Our goal is to restore 132 acres of oyster reefs to the Manatee River and prove that large scale restoration can be practical, affordable, and community driven.
We intend to increase our restoration capacity tenfold and complete that vision within the next 15 years. It is an ambitious goal, but so was restoring the first acre. So was developing an entirely new restoration method. So was building a nonprofit from the end of a driveway with little more than determination and an idea.
We've solved enough problems to know that the next ones can be solved too.
The Manatee River didn't lose 132 acres of oyster reefs overnight, and it won't regain them overnight. But year after year, acre after acre, we are going to put them back.
We're not waiting for someone else to lead this effort. We're leading it.
And we're just getting started.
2nd QuARTER 2026 UPDATE
The second quarter of 2026 was a record breaker in many ways for ORE. We're doing big things! See the details in our quarterly update.
About Us
Our Mission
Serving Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, & Pinellas Counties on Florida's Gulf Coast, Oyster River Ecology’s mission is to restore ecosystems and preserve ecological functions while increasing the understanding of the natural systems on which we all rely. ORE is a results-focused 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization of ecologists, restoration practitioners, and environmental educators. We are dedicated to the habitat restoration, stewardship, beautification, and understanding of the environment to benefit quality of life for humans and wildlife alike, both now and for generations to come.
Projects to Make a Difference Now
Our focus is getting high quality impactful PROJECTS done that will make a meaningful difference for the future of our area. This can range from multi-million dollar large-scale restoration projects to backyard bioswales. We provide planning, design, and implementation expertise to get projects done, then do more.
Projects to Shape the Future
Improving our environment for the next generation is one of our greatest responsibilities. Engaging the next generation of environmental stewards though experiential learning and project implementation is how we do it. ORE works to involve young people in meaningful and immersive projects where participants learn by doing and making a difference in the world around them.
Our History
Oyster River Ecology was founded in late 2022 by Damon Moore, who now serves as Executive Director, along with three founding board members who continue to serve on our board of directors. The organization was created to bring more meaningful, engaging, and inclusive habitat improvement projects to the Suncoast. Thanks to generous support from individual donors and local foundations, ORE began full operations in May 2023. From these humble beginnings, we continue to grow our impact on the community and our contributions to the local environment.