Norfolk’s Lafayette River was once polluted, but thanks to work by CBF, the Elizabeth River Project, and other partners, the river is now better known for successful oyster restoration. Together, these partners built 32 acres of oyster reef in this big-city river, completing the effort in 2018 when the Lafayette became the first Virginia tributary to meet goals for oyster habitat.

In this video, tag along for one of CBF’s annual surveys of a thriving restoration reef.