Corporations with a Conscience
Show the community you care.
Join the cluster’s fight and directly contribute to water quality restoration and the overall health of the Pensacola Bay System. Market your company as a green-conscious, environmental though leader in our community, fighting global warming by offsetting your own carbon footprint and helping our small businesses thrive.
What is the
Blue Economy?
At its core, the “blue economy” refers to the range of economic uses of both ocean and coastal resources. When you support our local blue economy, you strengthen the ripple effect beyond the supply chain to our community’s identity, and its tourism, property values, innovation, future ecological funding through support, and community-supported estuary.
Supporting our local oyster farmers plays a vital role in building a thriving economy and develops our aquaculture industry into a system that increases the availability and reliability of blue foods. A healthy estuary promotes a healthy offshore fishery for the commercial and recreational industry.
Sustainable Supply Chain
Our conservation efforts benefit the oyster aquaculture growers, distributors, seafood markets, restaurants, employees, tourism dollars, property values, and the small business community. When small businesses prosper, the community prospers, and that growth mindset attracts more growth.
Supporting the farmers trickles through the blue economy from everyone to boat mechanics and marinas to cooler repair shops and kitchen supply companies. This innovation attracts research and funding, leading to even more sustainable development.
Build our blue economy.
Build a better future for our bay.
Most companies/stakeholders are not afforded the opportunity to be directly involved in environmental restoration, much less develop initiatives to offset their carbon footprint or contribute to fighting environmental degradation caused by human impact or urban development. The Pensacola Oyster Cluster, through competitively awarded funding by The Nature Conservancy, has established a program that engages companies with a consciousness and the general public to contribute to the water quality restoration in the Greater Pensacola Bay System. This initiative not only funds the continuously improved health of our community’s estuary, but also supports small family businesses and markets the participating companies as ecological stewards and environmental thought leaders with a blue consciousness. This program is a first of its kind, with national attention on the public support provided by our community. Pensacola is in a unique situation to discern itself as a blue innovation hub – to create future innovative programs to fight climate change, create nutrient credit trading programs, etc. Support the health of the Pensacola Bay System and the local oyster aquaculture industry that contribute its water quality restoration as a partner in this blue program.
Photo Credit: East Bay Oysters
The Water Purifying Power of Oysters
Sustainable oyster farming is a vital tool for improving the water quality and health of Gulf Coast estuaries. Did you know a single adult oyster can clean 50 gallons of water per day? Bivalves like oysters are nature’s filter feeders, cleaning up water as they eat and grow. This iconic species pumps water through their gills, trapping particles of food as well as harmful nutrients like nitrogen, suspended sediments, and other contaminants. While they may just feel like an exciting appetizer to order at your favorite restaurant, oysters are on the frontlines in the battle to restore water quality for our ocean ecosystems.
SOAR:
SUPPORTING OYSTER AQUACULTURE & RESTORATION
Oyster aquaculture in the United States provides jobs in coastal communities, provides a sustainable source of seafood and can help improve ocean health by providing habitat for fish and improving water quality. We’re honored to have the Pensacola Oyster Cluster’s initiatives be backed by The Nature Conservancy’s SOAR program.
Resource Partners
