Ireland NOREAN – Native Oyster Restoration and Ecological Action for Nature

This project is being led by Dr Paul Brooks with research undertaken by PhD students at University College Dublin, with funding from the Irish Research Council, EPA Ireland and Fingal County Council, and in collaboration with Green Ocean Coffee (see greenoceancoffee.ie/dublin-bay/ for more details).

In Dublin Bay, the historic records show that cultivation and harvesting of oysters were an essential part of the capital’s economy back as far as early as the mid 1400’s. Continued harvesting and over exploitation in the 19th and into the early 20th century coupled with the disease Bonamia ostrea and increased pollution from a growing population in the city and around the bay lead to dramatic declines of oysters within the bay.

In consultation with the relevant agencies and local Co. Councils within the bay, this project aims to test methods for establishing and restoring native oysters to their historic range along the East coast of Ireland. These methods will include studying the viability and efficacy of artificial habitat devices to evaluate the potential to restore oyster reefs at a number of near shore, subtidal sites within and around Dublin Bay. Together with the EPA Ireland funded RESET project, which aims to further explore the possibility for co-restoration of different habitats, specifically the restoration of seagrass beds alongside native oyster reefs, habitats which have naturally occurred in close proximity. The projects will study the effects and roles that co-restoration may have on the ecology of both habitats.

Historic maps of Dublin 1758-60 noting prominent native oyster beds in
Malahide, Sutton, and Clontarf.

Oyster spat.
Photos: University College Dublin

In the long term, findings will be used to inform the broader restoration of oysters within Dublin Bay and biodiversity strategies put forward by local legislators to comply with National and European strategies on promoting and conserving native species that enhance ecosystem services.