NORA
The Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA) supports the protection and ecological restoration of Ostrea edulis, the native European oyster (also known as the flat oyster) and its habitat in areas of its current or historical distribution. The aim is to overcome existing barriers to the conservation, restoration and recovery of this ecologically important species. To this end, NORA has developed into a hub for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
1. Cooperation & network building
- joining forces with researchers, NGOs, oyster growers, industry, European institutions and national governments for the restoration and protection of flat oyster reefs
2. Knowledge exchange & community building
- organising bi-annual conferences and other meetings
- supporting working groups on specific topics
3. Knowledge management & infrastructure
- offering a restoration project database
4. Knowledge transfer, communication & outreach
- providing publications and outreach material on various levels
Latest articles
Public consultation on a roadmap to scaling up hatchery production in Europe
25th November 2025
Native oyster habitat restoration efforts have frequently reported difficulties in sourcing Ostrea edulis. We collected data from restoration projects and native oyster producers around Europe through a series of questionnaires and workshops to quantify and characterise the nature of the challenge
Latest projects
BLUE CONNECT
focusses on strict protection, restoration and co-management of Marine Protected Areas
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mieke.eggermont@ugent.be
mieke.eggermont@ugent.be
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more…
North Sea ReViFES –
lessons from wild reefs and restoration techniques
Knowledge and evidence essential for restoration of biogenic reefs
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NORAexpert
Karin Didderen
(Waardenburg Ecology/ BESE)
k.didderen@waardenburg.eco
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more…