NORA 5 Programme – NORA

NORA 5
Scaling-up European Oyster Reef Restoration
November 2023
Photo Matthias Huber, Ifremer

Invitation & Venue

Registration

Programme

NORA 5 Conference
6th – 8th November 2023
Middelburg, The Netherlands

Programme

Monday November 6^th, 2023
9:00		Student Session
12:00		Lunch / Registration
13:00		Opening and Welcome (tbc) Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink, (demissionary) Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy of the Netherlands
13:30		Keynote
14:00		Update on NORA activities
14:30		Speed Poster Session 10 posters to be presented in a one-minute pitch presentation
		Results of restoration pilots and scaling-up methods Part 1 Olie and Van Onselen Intermediate results of the offshore wind farm oyster restoration projects Blauwwind, Luchterduinen and Gemini ZeeEnergie in the Dutch North Sea Offshore wind toolbox Boze Hancock Demonstration of remote setting in the Ostrea genus and its use in scaling restoration Questions / Discussion
15:40		Coffee Break
		Results of restoration pilots and scaling-up methods Part 2 White Monitoring of wild native oyster spat settlement using king scallop shell in Galway Bay, Ireland Luke Helmer From research to reefs, the reality of challenges facing practitioners and researchers scaling up oyster restoration efforts in the UK Motuzaite Voordelta: field deployment and lessons for scaling up Stéphane Pouvreau REstoring European Flat Oyster Reefs & their Ecosystem Services on the French coasT : First results of the REEFOREST project Céline Gamble The Wild Oysters Project: Early monitoring results and future scale-up 17:25 Panel discussion All speakers from session part 1 and part 2
17:50		Poster Session
19:30		Dinner (Ticketed Event)

Tuesday November 7^th, 2023
9:00		Opening
9:10		Historical ecology and site selection Ruth Thurstan The world was our oyster: Historical records reveal the vast extent of past European flat oyster reef ecosystems Cooper-Young Site selection for native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reintroduction in an extinct oyster bed using multicriteria analysis and reference sites Brecht Stechele An aquaculture-restoration network analysis for flat oyster recovery in the North Sea and The English ChannelHatchery production of Bonamia-free and -resistant flat oysters (Ostrea edulis L.) McNamara Historic Gaelic place-names – markers for present oyster habitat? David Smyth Remote and limited access; criterion worth considering in site selection for native oyster restoration Lara Schmittmann Quantifying the risk of disease dispersal to European flat oyster restoration sites by ocean modelling Panel Questions and Discussion
10:45		Philine zu Ermgassen Applying the IUCN Ecosystem Red Listing Criteria to the European oyster reef ecosystem and policy implications
11:05		Coffee Break
11:35		Biosecurity Thiviya Nair Exploring Environmental DNA (eDNA) as a Tool for Detection and Monitoring of Bonamia ostreae in European Flat Oysters (Ostrea edulis) Arzul Evaluating the potential of eDNA-based approach to monitor flat oyster parasites Hanley-Allport Investigating emerging eDNA methodology Investigating emerging environmental DNA methodology for the detection of Bonamia ostreas in stress in (Ostrea edulis) populations 12:05 Questions Panel discussion to harmonize views on eDNA-potential of (Ostrea edulis) biosecurity
12:30		Lunch
13:30		Production Araujo Piñeiro / Colsoul Helgoland-Oyster-Hatchery: An overview of achievements and implications for future solutions Rindal Flat oyster broodstock cleaning treatments effect on bacteria levels and larvae production in hatchery Brundu The restoration of Ostrea edulis in the Mediterranean Sea: Recent progress in Sardinia 14:05 Questions / Discussion Dubbeldam Hatchery production of flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) for Dutch restoration projects Pauline Kamermans Alternative scour protection materials can enhance flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) settlement Matthew Johnston / Overwetter Utilising genetics in production (TORC) / Utilising genetics to unlock the conservation efforts of Native flat oysters at The Oyster Restoration Company 14:50 Questions
15:00		Coffee Break
15:30		Genetics Pierre Boudry / Fiz da Costa When does genetics matter for production of native European oyster (Ostrea edulis) seed and restoration of populations? Sophie Valk Towards non-invasive quantification of genetic diversity of flat oyster populations Chloé Robert Population structure of the historically preserved Scandinavian flat oyster populations Tonk Genetic characterization of Ostrea edulis populations to assist choices in flat oyster restoration in the North Sea 16:15 Questions
16:30		Short Break
16:40		Monitoring Methods Chair: Boze Hancock Joanne Preston Assessing oyster habitat restoration across Europe through shared metrics – progress, ambition and purpose of the NORA monitoring working group Morall Assessing fish populations using both historic and contemporary monitoring methods at restored native oyster reefs in the Solent Jansen Assessing species richness and status of European flat oyster beds through analysis of soundscapes, eDNA and visual surveys Ramsay From Sea to (Data)Table: Trials & Tribulations of Monitoring Data Collection Karin Didderen Conservation of an European oyster reef: Understanding ecosystem and oyster dynamics to inform future strategies for protection 17:40 Questions
18:00		Ideas / New Projects Session 5minutes pitch presentations
18:45		Break
19:30		The Rich North Sea Toolbox Session Limited to 50 people. Sign up end of day 1.

Wednesday November 8^th, 2023
9:00		Opening
9:10		Ecosystem services Woods Restoring ecosystem services: The impact of native oyster reefs on biodiversity in the Solent Naomi Kennon Oyster reef biodiversity enhancement: an ecosystem engineering perspective Michela Iodio Oysters in the light: the biodiversity of associated seaweed communities Camilla Bertolini MAREA: Matchmaking restoration, ecology and aquaculture Whyte Oysters and shellfish in Scottish Gaelic songs, stories and sayings 10:10 Questions / Panel Discussion
10:30		Coffee Break
11:00		Stakeholder involvement Nik Sachlikidis Saving Our Oyster Reefs: A Science Meets Impact Investor-Based Approach to Commercial Restorative Aquaculture Bernadette Pogoda Offshore oyster restoration in mitigation scenarios: The happy stakeholder? Bromley The evolving seascape for native oyster restoration in Scottish waters Karel van de Wijngaard Seawilding Practitioner Track: Towards engagement and ambitious action in regenerating North Sea nature 11:50 Questions / Panel Discussion
12:10		Closing Session TBD who will speak. Impression of the content and impression of the atmosphere.
12:30		Break
13:00		Excursion Registration required.

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