Galveston Bay Foundation

Just 25 miles from our Houston headquarters is Galveston Bay, the seventh-largest estuary in the U.S. and home to a variety of marine life, birds, and coastal vegetation. One of our region’s most valuable natural resources, it has benefited from over a decade of our support through the Galveston Bay Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting and improving the health of the regional ecosystem.

Through conservation, education, funding or direct volunteer efforts, we support the Foundation’s key initiatives such as:

The Oyster Shell Recycling Program takes discarded oyster shells from local restaurants and repurposes them to rebuild reefs that strengthen the bay’s ecosystems, improve water quality and support marine life. Rebuilt reefs act as a natural filter, removing nitrogen and phosphorous from the water.

The annual Marsh Mania event sees our employees and local communities wading into the water to plant thousands of smooth cordgrass stems along intertidal shorelines, helping to conserve wetlands. In 2025 alone, we planted 83,500 stems of smooth cord grass over 23 acres of Galveston Bay wetlands. Researchers at Texas A&M University at Galveston estimate that 15,000 stalks of marsh grass capture 10 tons of CO₂ annually, with long-term compounding effects.

Shoreline Cleanups help remove debris, strengthen reef systems, and maintain healthy coastal ecosystems. Through the Marine Debris program, we enhance the sustainability of Galveston Bay while supporting biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

These initiatives benefit local wildlife, promote wetland conservation, and support carbon sequestration, making a measurable, lasting impact on the Bay and its surrounding communities.

Aramco volunteers worked with Galveston Bay Foundation to restore oyster reefs that were badly damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Oyster Shell Recycling Program collects discarded oyster shells from local seafood restaurants to build new oyster reefs along the shores. Oyster reefs provide valuable services to the bay's ecosystem by filtering out nitrogen and phosphorous from the water.

Marsh Mania is the Galveston Bay Foundation's signature community event. It brings together volunteers to plant marsh grasses along the intertidal shorelines and learn about the importance of wetland habitats. Aramco has participated in marsh grass planting and, in 2021, served as the lead sponsor for the 23rd annual Marsh Mania event. That year, the Foundation achieved its goal of planting between 30,000 and 40,000 grass stalks.

Like trees, marsh grasses have many environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration.