One shell at a time - how oyster reefs help protect us from sea level rise

Did you know that oyster reefs can help our estuaries adapt to climate change?

Our Oyster Reef Restoration team member Jillian Keating from DPI Fisheries was featured in a recent case study on the Adapt NSW website detailing the many benefits of oyster reefs – including adapting to climate change and sea level rise.

It seems oyster reefs not only buffer our estuarine shores from storms, but unlike manmade seawalls, studies have shown that they can respond to changes in sea level and will grow upwards as sea levels rise.

Here is an extract from the article explaining more:

“As sea levels rise and storms become more severe, oyster reefs provide natural coastal protection by reducing wave energy, stabilising shorelines and buffering other more sensitive coastal habitats.

What’s even better is that the oyster reefs can grow in height as sea levels rise, oyster upon oyster, keeping pace with change over time and naturally maintaining this protection.”

Our Oyster Reef Restoration team has been working with project partners and local communities to deliver oyster reef education, mapping, research and restoration across NSW for several years.

You can read the full story on the AdaptNSW website.