Oysters On a Mission to Restore Sea Life

Scientists have dropped 200,000 European flat oyster larvae into a sunken shipwreck off Belgium. The goal: to help restore oyster reefs and bring marine life back to the North Sea.

“Our ambition is to create long-term nature restoration, without further human intervention,” says Vicky Stratigaki, project coordinator with Belreefs.

The larvae were placed in early July inside the hull of the Kilmore, a shipwreck resting about 100 feet underwater, atop historic gravel beds that once hosted reefs. Though many won’t survive – only around 30,000 are expected to make it through the first year – the survivors are meant to start reproducing and forming a self-sustaining reef. The wreck is protected from fishing and human disruption. If successful, this pilot project could be replicated elsewhere in the North Sea to help recover lost ecosystems and boost biodiversity.