Sydney Rock Oyster Reef Restoration secures ARC Funding

Associate Professor Paul Gribben is leading a team of collaborators from the Sydney Harbour Research Program (SHRP) at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science
(SIMS); UNSW; University of Sydney; Macquarie University; the New South
Wales Department of Primary Industries; the Nature Conservancy; and
the SIMS Foundation.  

Professor Gribben said
oyster reefs are the corals reefs of temperate ecosystems. They provide coastal
areas protection from waves and storms, act as the kidneys of estuaries by
filtering excess nutrients and contaminants from the water and provide habitat
and nursery grounds for many important species.

But like coral reefs,
oyster reefs are dying. Across Australia, more than 90% of oyster reefs have
been lost due to pollution and physical extraction for food and
lime.

The $330,000 ARC grant will
enable Professor Gribben and his collaborators to develop a framework to
recover the functionally extinct Sydney Rock Oyster reefs and reinstate their
key ecosystem services.

“This
project will provide significant benefits, such as the development of
key strategic alliances to enhance management of estuaries, and re-establish
the environmental, economic and social benefits of oyster reefs,” Professor
Gribben said.

The ARC Linkage Project
scheme brings together higher education and industry to conduct research into
pressing issues affecting Australians