25 Reefs
What started as a community-driven, citizen-science research project has developed into a statewide marine research and restoration program.
“Reviving Coffin Bay’s Lost Oyster Reefs” was the predecessor to the 25 reefs project.
Throughout the process of documenting the marine wildlife in Thorny Passage Marine Park, the team behind Eyrelab unintentionally uncovered buried oyster reef ecosystems, which have been submerged under a layer of sediment.
The cause? Nearly a century of benthic dredging by early Australian colonialists to collect oysters as their primary food source. This practice removed nearly 1500 kilometers worth of these habitats in South Australia alone.
We must reverse this action by bringing back oyster reefs from functional extinction, or we’ll continue to face the consequences placed upon us by the generations before us.
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More oyster reefs =
cleaner waters & more fish =
resilience against algal blooms =
improved fishing and diving =
happier and healthier communities.
Oysters are one of the most functionally important filter-feeding organisms in our oceans!
A single oyster can filter around 200 litres (about a bathtubs worth) of water per day. Multiply that by billions of oysters, and you get healthy, clean waters!
Oyster reefs used to function similarly to coral reefs by providing similar benefits such as functioning as nursery habitat for marine life, as well as reducing coastal erosion.
By establishing 25 Reefs across South Australia, we can create positive change for localised marine ecosystems and learn more about the dynamics of these habitats.
We hope that this project can guide future larger-scale restorations by generating baseline data around the state.
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Collect and clean used oyster shells, secure the shells in biodegradable mesh, and deploy them at strategic locations!
We can deploy these reef units at locations with small populations of native oysters during their spawning cycles to capture the “spat” (oyster larvae).
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Each reef will be distributed across a 1-hectare area, and will be designed in such a way that will be accessible to communities for ease of access for recreational activities.
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Think of this project like any other reforestation project. If you plant a tree, it’s not going to bear fruit for a few years.
It takes 5 years for native oysters to reach maturity, and we can expect to see the fruits of our labor once these reefs are established and functioning properly.
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As we are reconstructing oysters reefs across the state, we will be hosting community working-bees where you can get involved with the process!
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