If a reef can officially open for business, then nine of them did so yesterday in Charlotte Harbor. The new reefs were constructed just off Trabue Harborwalk in Punta Gorda in an effort to encourage oysters to return to the area, which would help improve water quality and wildlife habitats while protecting the shoreline from damaging storms. The Nature Conservancy partnered with city leaders on the project, which could be repeated elsewhere in the harbor and around the state.
