Restoring the Manatee River one Oyster Rag Pot at a time

Dating back to 1837, the Manatee River was once known as the "Oyster River" due to the large number of oyster beds lining the shore.

Harvesting, dredging, wastewater spills and changes to the area over nearly 200 years have left Manatee River a shell of its former self.

The non-profit Oyster River Ecology is working to turn that around.

Every week they get to work, putting together Oyster Rag Pots which are installed in the Manatee River.

Mixed by hand, cement and a cotton rag are turned into a tool to help the Manatee River.

"It's nice to have other folks in here to kind of keep you on pace and while it is like wash, rinse, repeat, not every batch you mix is the same," said Sarah Sheffer, an Oyster Rag Pot Fabricator with Oyster River Ecology.

Once each rag is coated, a wooded spa