New documentary about water quality and oyster restoration in local bays was produced by Mississippi State University Films for the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program
PENSACOLA, Fla., April 27, 2023 ― The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) is telling the story of local oysters—and more broadly local estuaries—through a new documentary produced by the Mississippi State University Television Center. WSRE PBS will host the premiere of “The Humble Oyster” with a free screening and panel discussion at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, in the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio at Pensacola State College.
“The Humble Oyster” examines the fragility of Northwest Florida’s threatened coastal ecology and efforts to bring back the health of the region’s bays and a once vibrant commercial industry through oyster restoration.
“Over the decades, the health of our bays has declined, resulting in the loss of approximately 85 percent of our oyster habitat,” said PPBEP Executive Director Matt Posner. “In a short 30 minutes, this documentary eloquently reflects the robust oyster harvesting and healthy bays of the recent past and looks at today’s efforts to restore oyster populations and habitat over the next decade.”
The film documents oyster farmer Shana Alford‘s challenging first year in 2022 and oysterman Pasco Gibson’s memories of bountiful natural reefs that no longer exist in the waterways in and around Santa Rosa County.
Production of “The Humble Oyster” was funded by a RESTORE Council grant administered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and awarded to the PPBEP.
Admission is free. Online registration is requested at wsre.org/events or ppbep.org/get-involved.
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About WSRE: WSRE, a PBS member station licensed to the Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees and supported by the WSRE-TV Foundation, serves as a critical media source for trusted content and a safe media space for children to grow and learn.
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