Nantucket's shell recycling program started in 2014 with funding from the Nantucket Shellfish Association. This program, part of the Natural Resources Department, is meant to encourage the Nantucket restaurant community to recycle oyster and clam shells in order to support restoration in the waters. Once the shells are collected, they are washed, and stored as they need to be cured for a year before they can go back in the water. The Department of Public Works helps with this process and it stores the shells. One reason it takes a year for the shells to cure is that amount of time is needed for any invasive parasites that may be attached to the shell to decompose. Cultch, or cured oyster shells, are the base of the oyster reef. This base is chemically attractive for the baby oysters to settle. Nantucket's oyster restoration project has a goal to encourage self-sustained growth and reduce waste, thus providing a great opportunity for the community to participate in this sustainable cause. The Natural Resources Department collects the shells from the local restaurants and once they are cured in open space at the Department of Public Works, they are put back in the water to encourage regeneration and formation of the oyster reef. On Nantucket, the Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery produces oyster spat that is then set on recycled shells. Over 30 restaurants, including some private clubs on Nantucket, participate in this program. What is unique about this program is that it has become a high priority in Nantucket's Shellfish Management Plan because oyster shells are limited and the supply over the years has been depleted due to its usage in landfills, infrastructure and not replaced at the same pace as which it is removed. Shells are also very costly to import, so this project's goals play an important and meaningful role in the health of Nantucket's waters.