After a century of functional extinction on the Australian mainland, a Flat oyster reef has been successfully restored along a metropolitan Adelaide coastline.
After a century of functional extinction on the Australian mainland, a Flat oyster reef has been successfully restored along a metropolitan Adelaide coastline.
Research by University of Adelaide marine scientists has revealed that the astonishing ecological recovery occurred within two and a half years of the reef being constructed, providing hope for the future of marine ecosystems around the world.
“In late 2020, 14 limestone boulder reefs were constructed along the busiest coastline in South Australia, and it took just two and a half years for the habitat to become a thriving marine metropolis,” says Dr Dominic McAfee of the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences.
“The rate of recovery of this particular restoration shows that even heavily degraded marine systems can retain a latent resilience that enables us to achieve rapid environmental recoveries through effective restoration efforts.”
Read more at University of Adelaide
Image: Dr Dominic McAfee and Professor Sean Connell diving at a reef. (Photo credit: Stefan Andrews)
