A key role of the NORA network is to provide opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange. Given the Covid-19 crisis, opportunities to achieve this face-to-face have become limited. The NORA Secretariat identified the potential positive role an on-line database, which would allow restoration practitioners to identify others with the expertise they were seeking, long before the pandemic. NORA have therefore been developing such a database, and are now delighted to announce its launch.
The database will be an opportunity for those interested in native oyster restoration to find each other. Oyster suppliers can share information about the scope of their business and what stock they have to offer; those with expertise in biosecurity disease management can ensure that new projects can quickly locate their specialist expertise; and experts in the permitting and legal frameworks in their jurisdictions can offer to help others seeking to navigate that challenging terrain.
NORA participants are encouraged to visit the website and register their expertise. It is a fantastic way to make sure that you are involved in the opportunities that future native oyster restoration growth will provide, and a great way of ensuring future collaborative efforts identify your expertise. Registering in the database will also help NORA achieve its goal of overcoming existing barriers to the conservation, restoration and recovery of the European oyster by providing opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Please register with the NORA Expert Database now, and help move oyster restoration forward in Europe and beyond.