Oyster Reef Restoration: Your Chance to Contribute

Oyster reef restoration is looking like the answer we need to combat the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB), and now you have the chance to help.

Environment Institute Future Making Fellow Dr Dominic McAfee recently spoke with ABC Radio Adelaide to discuss this great initiative in partnership with OzFish Adelaide Chapter, and how volunteering to make oyster baskets will help the Port River flourish once again.

This project aims to restore reefs of the functionally extinct native oyster, Ostrea angasi. Prior to 1836, the Port River was home to many shellfish reefs that are now only occasionally found due to over harvesting from the 1800s to early 1900s. There are reports dating back to 1885 that vast oyster reefs, in particular, were destroyed due to shoreline infrastructure. There is now hope to bring them back with the help of the community.

Five thousand square metres of locally extinct native oyster reefs will be restored through this project. Dr McAfee explained that this project will allow the oysters to return and filter port water, while providing a habitat for various organisms that can live within the oyster reefs, and it could also be the answer to combatting the HAB.

Longterm, the oysters will filter large amounts of water daily, reducing the concentration of nutrients and algae. By extension, added benefits will include introduction of essential fish habitat and added blue carbon benefits to the Port River.

The callout seeks volunteers to come and craft baskets, which requires basic skill level, and a positive attitude. “With enough guidance, you’ll be able to build multiple amounts in a day” says Dr McAfee.

“The OzFish team will be looking after whoever is willing to turn up and helping them contribute in their own way, as there are many different ways to get involved.”

“This will be happening over several months before the temperature and the conditions are right to put them in the water”

So far a group of 28 volunteers, have restored 70 oyster buckets with 1.1 tonnes of oyster shells being recycled. The baskets won’t be placed into the water until the oysters begin breeding, around November or December.

 “In in between now and then there's many baskets that need to be made and filled with this generalised oyster shell, so people can come down and all contribute to that is the best”

Dr McAfee told of a pilot result currently being conducted in the Port River - the results after only a year are amazing.

“We pulled some of those baskets out and we had over 1000 native oysters that had settled on those baskets. We're starting to form reef habitat. So that's really exciting we know it can work”

The sites will be monitored by University of Adelaide students, to understand and determine the colonisation by native oysters, and other organisms that visit the site.

“It's a long road back to restore that something of that scale but we can begin by bringing community together and starting small and dreaming big”

Dr McAfee was recently featured in the latest episode of Big Sky Country by Bush Heritage Australia, where he also spoke about oyster reef restoration on here. He was able to discuss his work and the success it has been, to play underwater sounds with underwater speakers for many years now.

To be a part of this initiative and to discover upcoming events, click here.

Read more about oyster restoration:

Steps to Clean Up the Algal Bloom

Restorative Bivalve Aquaculture Offers New Hope for Climate and Coastal Ecosystems

Environment Institute Harmful Algal Bloom Capability Statement 

Dom McAfee speaks about oyster reefs on Big Sky Country - Bush Heritage Australia