The Mother Reef

The Mother Reef

https://youtu.be/09pyKDjMWAQ

Globally, 85% of oyster reefs in nature are gone. Oyster reefs are one of the most imperiled marine habitats in the world, and essential keystone species for the marine ecosystem.
Oyster restoration is urgently needed. Restoration efforts have been done across the globe in the past decades. However, the scale of such projects is often very limited due to the lack of resources and a scalable substrate for oysters to settle on.

That’s why we invented the Mother Reef.

The Mother Reef bricks are the most cost-efficient substrate for oyster regeneration. They are the essential scaffolding to cover the deserted sea floor and support oysters as they grow into fully formed self-sustaining reefs. We pre-charge them with at least 50 oysters each before we plant them into our oceans.

Our reef has the following characteristics:
Natural Material - By making our reefs from clay, mud and sand we add nothing to the marine environment that would not already be there meaning that we can act in degraded marine protected areas.
Biodegradable - By firing the bricks at a controlled low temperature, we can ensure that the reefs erode in the water and fracture as oysters grow. This means that there will be no human traces remaining after the project leaving nothing but sand and mud after the project ends.
Scalable Anywhere - Our reefs are produced by the brick manufacturing industry using an extrusion technology. This means that any brick manufacturer with a technological upgrade since the 1970s can become an oyster reef manufacturer by just changing the mouthpiece of the extrusion machine.
Low Cost - Because it can be produced by brick manufacturers in generic conditions, these reefs will never be more expensive than household bricks. They can also be produced at the same speed, 40.000 per day per machine.
Climate friendly - The use of our products will create oyster reef habitats which will sequester carbon dioxide over time and help meet climate goals. Our choice of clay vs concrete or plastics is also operationally very climate friendly. Even when fired at normal temperatures, clay is 6x less carbon intensive than concrete, at our temperatures, it will be even less.
Physically Targeted to Oysters - There are a series of design features that help attract oyster larvae and promote development. Internal surfaces are important for protection against predators, oyster larvae prefer to settle in low flow regions away from sunlight. The ribbed surface also mimics the natural waves found on an oyster shell. These give rise to hydrological effects that oysters also find appealing.
Biologically Targeted to Oysters - Oyster larvae do not have real eyes. They see using a series of biochemical signals in the water, pressure and sound. Healthy oyster reefs are academically known to attract oyster larvae. It is also known that it is the microbiology on the surface of these reefs that provide the signals, this surface is known as a ‘biofilm’. Oyster Heaven has developed a proprietary manner to extract the microbiology from a healthy reef, grow it and then transfer it onto our clay surface.
Deployed by Fishers - These reefs are small, weighing only 6kg and 30cm x 30cm x 15cm. This means that they can be manually handled on low complexity fishing vessels. We do not want or need expensive marine engineering organisations involved. By using fishing communities, we are providing new employment opportunities for this group that is troubled by expensive fuel, licenses, smaller quotas, reduced yields and very seasonal work.

For planet: Oysters are a powerful species that generate biodiversity and play a key role for the environment. Not only that, but just like trees clean our air and capture carbon dioxide, oyster reefs clean the oceans and remove excess nitrogen from the water. The Mother Reef is our technology to restore these keystone species that help keep the ocean in balance.

For people: The livelihoods of fishermen and coastal communities is at risk. Oyster restoration supports these communities providing improved habitat, protection against coastal erosion, and new jobs for the fishermen that will plant the Mother Reefs into the sea.

For Profit: The Mother Reef allows us to restore oyster reefs at large scale, creating a financially sustainable model: oyster reefs generate valuable ecosystem services that can be sold to generate profit to restore the next reef, and so on.

The Netherlands

2021 - Present

#Sustainability #OysterRestoration #MarineRestoration

https://oysterheaven.org/our-technology/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/oyster-heaven

The benefits of oyster restoration extend far beyond the immediate term, leaving a lasting impact on both the environment and the communities within the project areas.

The restored oyster reefs will not sustain themselves and generate biodiversity attracting hundreds of marine species that will continuously enhance the local ecosystem
Oyster reefs grow as three dimensional structures that also act as barriers that protect the shores.

The increased fish stock will ensure the livelihoods of fishermen and coastal communities reliant on seafood as a primary protein source, especially in light of current struggles due to stringent quota restrictions.

Moreover, the resultant improvement in water quality will not only create new, inviting swimming areas, attracting tourists and visitors, but will also bolster the regional economy.
Persistent reefs will improve the ways that our coastal communities interact with the water for as long as the oysters stay in the water.

The Mother Reef is the technology needed to restore oyster reefs at large scale.
Each restored oyster reef will have a minimum of 3.75 million oysters that in 5-10 years will result in:

8 million Oysters and 375 million new swimming creatures weighing 500 tonnes from almost 500 species. (SDG 14, Life below water)

Filtering 1.6 billion liters of water per day - 640 olympic swimming pools. (SDG 6, Clean water and sanitation )

10 new seasonal jobs for fishermen and coastal communities. (SDG 8, Decent work and economic growth)

Improving feeding habitat of more than 20 wading bird species including those of international importance. (SDG 15, Life on land)

Managing 2.5 tonnes of nitrogen a year with an estimated 100-900 tonnes of carbon stored in shells, living biomass and additional nitrous oxide impact. (SDG 13 Climate action)

Yes. Our projects will be led by fishing communities and co-created with the local fishermen.

Fishing communities will use their boats and knowledge of the water to plant the Mother Reefs into the sea, monitor and oversee the growth of the new marine oases. They will benefit from new jobs, increased fish stock, improved ocean health and secured livelihoods.

We also involve all local stakeholders at every stage of the project.