Experts - Oyster Habitat Restoration

E-Mail: rachel.millar@ulsterwildlife.org

I am interested in how the physical environment affects whole organism responses and species interactions. My work involves bivalves in general, as well as other species that frequently occur within bivalve beds. I have previously been involved with research involving ecological impacts and invasion success of the Pacific oyster, as well as documenting flat oyster population recovery. I am also interested in documenting how environmental conditions affect the population develop of bivalve populations.

E-Mail: patrickjoyce@cuhk.edu.hk
Web: paddy-joyce.netlify.app

I'am currently employed as a Science Officer with the Shellfish Centre Wales based at Bangor University. I have worked with native oyster population dynamics for more than 20 years. My particular expertise is the passive / benign approach to bivalve restoration. I have extensive experience in establishing, monitoring and augmenting both subtidal and intertidal native oyster, pearl oyster and horse mussel populations. I' am a predictive population modeler of invasive bivalve species, with Magallana gigas and Pinctada radiata species of interest. I'am currently working on the DAERA funded; Native Oysters Northern Ireland project (NONI) and the Ulster Wildlife Trust Blue Carbon Habitats project. I, am also connected with the Zoological Society of London "Wild Oysters" restoration hub at the Conwy Estuary Wales.

E-Mail: d.smyth@bangor.ac.uk

I am involved in native oyster restoration, monitoring, ecosystem service quantification and outreach in the Netherlands, and to restoration in the USA and Australia. I contributed to the first active restoration pilots and the description of the first native oyster reef in the Dutch North sea. I am part of the Dutch Flat Oyster Consortium that is active in putting native oyster restoration on the policy agenda together with partners. I am also involved in designs of offshore wind farms, where populations of native oyster are actively promoted as well as new restoration techniques for oyster reef restoration.

E-Mail: k.didderen@buwa.nl
Web: https://www.platteoester.nl

We produce Ostrea edulis for both the table and restoration market on our disease free farm in Wester Ross, Scotland. We have been involved in the on growing of the 'Native' since we started the farm and as a result have a great respect for this little creature and appreciate the challanges involved in their cultivation. We are a key supply chain partner of the Glenmorangie DEEP project and are working closely with that project to deliver significant volumes of part grown stock for relaying in the Dornoch Firth. We are also greatly interested in preservation of existing wild Scottish population and are working with others to identify, protect and enhance these.

E-Mail: info@maorachbeag.scot
Web: https://scottishshellfishcompany.com/

E-Mail: alison.debney@zsl.org
Web: www.zsl.org

I have worked with spatting ponds for 8 years and have found it works really good for flat oyster production and spat on shell for bottom culture production I am interested in spatting ponds and bottom culture and ways to improve that Restauration is in my view bottomculture without harvest, so my experience would translate very well for that.

E-Mail: jn@aquamind.dk
Web: www.aquamind.dk

As one of the initiators of native oyster restoration in Dutch waters, I am currently functioning as an informal network coordinator, operating between the various restoration projects and related organisations. With the purpose of stimulating cooperation and exchange of information, in order to speed up the learning curve we have to go through. As member of the NORA Advisory Board I also attempt to stimulate cross-border cooperation and information exchange at a European level.

E-Mail: hsas@xs4all.nl

E-Mail: afrankic@gmail.com
Web: www.umb.edu/GHP

I'm a marine ecologist and scientific diver studying the ecological functioning of marine habitats of high biodiversity, especially biogenic habitats formed by shellfish, the effects of anthropogenic impacts and the development of novel approaches for impact amelioration and ecological restoration. I have expertise in the aquaculture of biogenic reef forming bivalves (oysters, horse mussels) with the purpose of ecological restoration, site selection of restoration and translocation and monitoring of success using biodiversity of the associated community, survival and recruitment as metrics. In the past I have worked in several shellfish restoration projects such as the Modiolus Restoration Plan in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland), monitoring condition and recovery in horse mussel Modiolus modiolus populations following restoration, and the Dornoch Firth Environmental Enhancement Project (DEEP) in Scotland for the reintroduction of the native oyster Ostrea edulis, largely working on site selection and historical ecology.

E-Mail: josemaria.farinas-franco@gmit.ie

Stéphane is a marine biologist, working at Ifremer near Brest, in France. His current research is focused on the ecology and ecophysiology of temperate marines bivalves especially the flat oyster, the pacific oyster, but also the pectinids (Black and Great scallops). In another life during his PhD, he has also worked on the pearl oyster ecology in French Polynesia. Most of his projects is connected with conservation, restoration, aquaculture & fisheries. He is in charge of a national long term monitoring program on the pacific oyster reproduction (VELYGER) and a regional project on the flat oyster ecology & restoration (FOREVER). He is also involved in a new project on the black scallop ecology (MASCOET). Locally, Stéphane co-animates a regional research site (ZABRI) in relation with the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER). He is also a scientific diver and cannot conceive his work without going regularly at field !

E-Mail: Stephane.Pouvreau@Ifremer.fr
Web: https://www-iuem.univ-brest.fr/lemar/?lang=en

ARC Marine specialises in accelerating reef creation of damaged marine ecosystems. We develop innovative marine solutions utilising our Reef Cube technology that incorporate a nature inclusive design to habitat creation/restoration in the aquaculture, coastal defense, renewable energy and sub sea asset protection. Reef systems, including biogenic reefs, are some of the most productive and biologically diverse systems on earth and the more we can restore/create the better the benefits for us all. I oversee all our day to day operations of our projects and I have a keen interest in diving (both commercial and recreational) and with restoring as many habitats as possible to aid our vision of creating healthy, productive seas once again. Having been involved in various marine monitoring and ecological enhancement projects between the UK and Asia i am passionate in the belief that the creation of healthy marine habitats will be accomplished.

E-Mail: james.murphy@arcmarine.co.uk
Web: www.arcmarine.co.uk

I am an applied ecologist working in marine and freshwater habitats to understand the consequences of individual variation in behaviour, survival, growth and reproduction of organisms in a population, community and evolution context. A great deal of the research in my group at Essex is on shellfish and fish including aquaculture and wild fisheries, and restoration and recovery of fish and shellfish stocks and habitats. At Essex we work from individual physiological responses of shellfish in our marine laboratories to the ecology of on bed mariculture and fisheries at multiple spatial scales. We work closely with oyster producers in Essex and beyond to deliver sustainable and profitable businesses and food security from the blue growth sector. Beyond shellfish and fish our group also works on saltmarshes, coastal marshes, mudflat and seagrass beds from microbial ecosystem functions to carbon capture and all services in between.

E-Mail: tcameron@essex.ac.uk
Web: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/camer52908/thomas-cameron

I am a marine biologist, specialised in Marine Ecology, currently PhD student at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Portsmouth (University of Portsmouth, UK). My research involves the hatchery production of the native oyster O.edulis as spat-on-shell for restoration in the Solent. I am investigating the genetic implications surrounding the employment of locally adapted broodstock from disease-affected areas, for the hatchery production of native oyster seed for restoration purposes, monitoring the genetic diversity and potential disease-resistance during the whole production process. I am also investigating the mechanisms of competitive exclusion of C. fornicata, assessing the factors responsible for the inhibition of O. edulis natural recruitment in the Solent. During my most recent work experience, I've been running an aquarium based experiment to investigate the role of microplastics as pathogen vectors. All my previous experiences include projects related to the biodiversity and conservation fields of study.

E-Mail: monica.fabra@port.ac.uk

Societal benefits, restoration, ecology, biodiversity & monitoring of: 1. Shellfish reefs, 2. Marine Protected Areas 3. Priority habitats of nature conservation importance, The win-win between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem function and marine development Biodiversity mapping and management in Marine Spatial Planning Sustainable development and habitat use by species of high biodiversity conservation importance

E-Mail: w.g.sanderson@hw.ac.uk
Web: https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/william-sanderson

E-Mail: sadaraslam@gmail.com

My primary focus is on the delivery of physical restoration of native oyster populations and habitat. In managing the ENORI project I have developed a broad knowledge of all things oysters. Key considerations and particular interests within our habitat restoration work include supply and type of cultch, biosecurity, monitoring and delivery of public outreach. I have a mixed disciplinary background, I have completed research projects and have spent time working within the bivalve aquaculture industry.

E-Mail: matt@bluemarinefoundation.com
Web: https://essexnativeoyster.com/

Primarily focused on providing a strong scientific foundation for the Solent Oyster Restoration Project, my intrests are broad as there are many issues to consider within our system. My previous research has involved invasive species, restoration aquaculture systems, disease and associated biodiversity. More recently we have been working on scaling up reef restoration and I have been encouraging the movement towards integrated ecosystem restoration (Oysters, Saltmarsh, Seagrass and Kelp). Outreach, communication and engement with a range of audiences is also something that I keen to develop across Europe following our successful activities in the UK.

E-Mail: luke@bluemarinefoundation.com
Web: https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/projects/solent/

I have > ten years experience in native oyster restoration, ecosystem service quantification and historical ecology in the USA, Australia and Europe. I have worked with NORA to develop Biosecurity Guidelines, having undertaken my PhD on aquatic invasive species at the University to Cambridge. I was a contributing author to the "Oyster Habitat Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Handbook" (2014) and author and editor of the "Restoration Guidelines for Shellfish Reefs" (2019) and the "European Native Oyster Habitat Restoration Handbook, UK and Ireland" (2020) and therefore have broad, high-level experience of oyster restoration. I am also a longstanding member of the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative, and have provided project-level advice for several native oyster projects throughout the UK.

E-Mail: secretariat@noraeurope.eu

I have been involved in marine conservation work for more than 30 years in my adopted home of Florida. I joined The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2004 and as TNC’s Marine Program Manager in Florida, I am responsible for guiding work on restoring and managing coastal systems that include habitat restoration, management and policy actions, and convening diverse stakeholders to tackle issues affecting Florida’s estuarine systems. I have a special affinity for oyster habitat and I am currently managing a large-scale oyster habitat restoration project and the development of an oyster ecosystem-based fisheries management plan for the Greater Pensacola Bay System in Florida.

E-Mail: abirch@tnc.org
Web: nature.org/florida