The Port of Melbourne has partnered with The Nature Conservancy Australia (TNC) to pilot a project to restore shellfish reefs on dredge material grounds in Port Phillip Bay, according to the company's release.
Dredge material grounds are seafloor areas designated for the placement of sand and mud removed from navigation channels.
“This is an incredibly exciting initiative,” said Andrew Bossie, TNC’s Seascapes Conservation Officer, VIC. “We are restoring half a hectare of new shellfish reefs over dredge spoil, something that has never been attempted before.”
The trial began on February 4, using recycled shell from TNC’s Shuck Don’t Chuck project and local limestone rock to create a new reef base. These bases will be seeded with 400,000 Australian Flat Oysters. The oysters will grow and attach to the reef base, forming a living reef that filters water and attracts diverse marine life.
Shellfish reefs once covered up to half of Port Phillip Bay’s seafloor. Due to historical overfishing, runoff, and other factors, they are now considered an ecologically collapsed ecosystem. The Port of Melbourne has invested $890,000 to support TNC’s shellfish reef restoration efforts.
This project is part of TNC’s national shellfish restoration program, which aims to rebuild shellfish ecosystems at 60 locations across Australia by 2030.
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest container port, handling a significant portion of the nation's maritime trade.
The Nature Conservancy Australia (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to protecting ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.