Gulf Shores, Ala. — (GSN) — The Little Lagoon Preservation Society (LLPS) received an oyster spat delivery on Tuesday to help with Auburn University's Restoration Oyster Program. The group will oversee 65 oyster gardens in Little Lagoon.

Spat on Shell: Larvae that are set on recycled oyster shells in a hatchery. These are primarily used in environmental conservation to build and restore natural oyster reefs.

Nearly 45 volunteers delivered the baby oysters, along with supplies, to property owners who will tend the gardens. Cages holding the oyster spats were suspended from 57 docks. Each week, the gardeners will check the cages and remove silt, barnacles and predators, such as oyster drills.

The hope is to raise the oysters, study them and relocate mature oysters in the fall.

Dr. P.J. Waters, of Auburn University’s Marine Extension and Resource Center, will record how many of the mature oysters are successfully raised and transport them to a sanctuary reef in Little Lagoon.

The oysters will be protected. The exact location will not be disclosed.

The program is authorized through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The LLPS spearheads the effort by gathering volunteers. Last year, the organization gathered oysters from 64 gardens. Organizers said the efforts help recoup oyster reef losses, which have impacted critical ecosystem functions.

Oyster spat are the foundation of both the commercial seafood industry and marine conservation efforts. Because they are natural filter feeders, cultivating and planting spat helps repopulate coastal estuaries, filtering impurities from the water and providing structural habitats for other marine life.