- June 6, 2026
“Oysters for My Neighborhood” is calling on local waterfront residents and businesses with docks to help place vertical oyster gardens (VOGs) in the water to take advantage of the spat run.
The group has agreed to install VOGs at the boat docks of three Flagler County parks: the Moody Boat Launch in Flagler Beach, Bings Landing in the Hammock and Herschel King Park in Palm Coast.
VOGs are suspended, artificial habitats made by stringing recycled oyster shells onto a heavy-duty wire or rope. Hung from docks or seawalls, they attract juvenile oysters – called spat – and marine life, serving as miniature, localized reefs that improve water quality.
“This is a really great project,” Flagler County Interim Administrator Adam Mengel said in a Flagler County press release. “These gardens both clean the water and create habitat for other creatures – small crabs and shrimp.”
Chuck Gleichmann, the Oysters for My Neighborhood founder who started a local VOG initiative on the Intracoastal Waterway, said he won’t know precisely how many gardens will be installed until the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida officially surveys the docks early next week. The goal is to have the gardens installed around mid-June.
“As an example, the Hershel King dock is 115 feet long. We space VOGs two feet apart give or take,” Gleichmann said. “This dock should take somewhere between 55 and 60.”
As the oysters that attach themselves to the vertical gardens grow, they can filter between two to five gallons of water per hour, which will significantly improve the water quality of the Intracoastal Waterway, according to the Flagler County press release.
“A full-grown oyster can filter 50 gallons of water per day,” Gleichmann said. “A string of oyster shells creates a home for new oysters and also creates habitat for others.”
VOGs can be picked up at Keys Deck and Dock Supply, 236 2nd St., Daytona Beach, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dock owners are encouraged to stop by during business hours to pick up a VOG bag and install it on their dock. Installation help is available by emailing [email protected].
For more information, including how to get involved in the next VOG assembly, go to www.oystersformyneighborhood.com.
