MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County's oyster recycling initiative, which restarted last year, is already expanding.

Sherri Swanson, the Ecological and Marine Resources division manager, said the program will now reach more bodies of water within the county and operate year-round instead of seasonally.

“A lot of the oysters have gone away in the Manatee River due to past dredging to build the roads in our community, as well as over-harvesting," she said. "So our focus is to do restoration in the Manatee River. We have a variety of projects."

Drilling into oyster shells is meticulous work, but first-time volunteer Shelby Reece said she was getting the hang of it.

“I would have never thought I would be drilling oysters," she said of her work with the Gulf Coast Oyster Recycling and Renewal Program.

Shelby spent most of her life working as a farmer — a career that has been in her family for generations. Now retired, she decided it was time to volunteer.

“I wanted to get more out of the community and contribute," she said.

The project she’s working on uses oyster shells from area restaurants to create underwater structures to attract oyster larvae, which will grow into adult oysters that clean waterways by filtering out impurities.

Reece said she sees the effort as a way to preserve the environment around her.

“It helps every day. And it's really been something — I've spent more time in the water these past few weeks," she said. "And the water quality seems already so much better. And I know it has to do with these types of initiatives."

After the drill holes are complete, a wire is run through the shells to create oyster anchors, which are then submerged.

"And, you know, we have so many people moving here, which is great," Reece said. "But we also need natural spaces. So preserving the land and being good stewards of the land is so important because also because of our water."

Over the last two years, program officials say about 50 tons of oyster shells have been collected from local restaurants. They are brought to Robinson Preserve for storage, and after six months, the shells are ready to be made into anchors.

“I mean, it's maybe a little thing just drilling holes in oysters, but knowing that, you know, putting the time once a week to come out here is my first time, so I hope to continue to do it," Reece said. "It could make an impact over time."

Officials say the Gulf Coast Oyster Recycling and Renewal Program is working to reach additional areas in the Manatee River.

And for the first time, group organizers say they hope to start putting oyster anchors in the Braden River, as well.