New oysters in the Port River (but none you can eat)
Research underpins and informs everything we do – it is part of our OzFish DNA. The pioneering shellfish restoration project in the Port River in Adelaide is no exception.
This week, students from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences conducted the first monitoring activities on the Robust Oyster baskets (ROB’s) that were installed in the Port River, South Australia, in December last year (2022).
ROB’s are a triangular prism designed by OzFish members in Queensland, made of degradable steel mesh that are then filled with recycled oyster shells and strategically deployed on the sea floor. They are designed to mimic shellfish reef clumps, maximising water flow and exploiting the natural habit of oysters to bind together.
Three of the 70 ROB’s that were deployed have been retrieved and taken back to the University for testing. This will determine what has colonised in the months since they were deployed. Follow-up studies will be conducted at eight and 12 months to see the continued growth and impact over time.
This approach ensures that scientific research is not only rigorous and informed but also directly used to support and guide conservation efforts.
This important partnership with the University of Adelaide will help inform future OzFish projects in the Port River and assist with ongoing plans to restore shellfish reefs that were once abundant in the system.
Shellfish reefs play an essential role in the health and sustainability of the marine environment. These reefs are complex ecosystems that support a wide range of marine life and provide other important services. Oysters are efficient filter feeders, removing microscopic food particles from the water.
As filter feeders, they are also known to play an important role in waterway health by removing excess nutrients (often caused by run-off) to improve water quality and overall environmental condition of our waterways.
Stay tuned for the results which will be announced soon. We hope this will indicate how the ROB’s are performing by showing what is growing and inhabiting the structures.
