tarting off her career on gut bacteria research in Cape Town, Dr. Natacha Juste-Poinapen took a fascinating path applying her chemical engineering expertise to the marine environment, a place close to her heart, having grown up near the ocean. As the first hire at Oyster Heaven, Natacha focuses on enhancing oyster regeneration and evaluating restoration site suitability by studying the microbiological components of oyster reefs. She collaborates with DTU Aqua in Denmark, and Deltares and NIOZ in the Netherlands, bringing unique insights to our ambitious goal of restoring historic oyster reefs.

As we work hard to implement our approach to oyster reef restoration in the Netherlands and the UK, we are also filling up our project pipeline to initiate even more reefs to steadily bring back the lost oyster reefs in our European waters and beyond. With our workload growing, our team expanding, and our outreach broadening, it’s time to introduce the dedicated individuals who’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes. Let’s begin with our founder, George, the visionary driving force behind it all…

In the world of marine conservation, the search for effective materials to aid restoration is a never-ending exploration. For oyster reefs specifically, the need for a suitable substrate is the key in achieving reef revitalisation. Among the many materials, clay stands out as a tested solution which has led us at Oyster Heaven to use it as the preferred material to kick start large-scale oyster reefs.

Every ecosystem is made up of different species interacting with each other in different ways. We are quite familiar with the predator/prey relationship that ensures the balance in the food web as a means of protection. A good example is the key role of sharks in controlling the number of sea turtles that could otherwise impact seagrass on which they feed.

To optimise how oyster restoration can be done, we’ve looked into what worked so far and what didn’t succeed and conducted laboratory and field testing.

After two years of dedicated work, we’ve identified these are the key factors to optimise oyster restoration.

Oyster restoration initiatives play a crucial role in revitalising marine ecosystems, but their benefits extend beyond environmental conservation. Restoration projects are proving to be a boon for oyster farming and aquaculture. The interplay between restoration efforts and aquaculture creates a harmonious relationship that fosters sustainability, provides food and supports livelihoods of coastal communities.

Marine dredging, the process of removing sediment from the ocean floor, is a common practice that causes significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, contributing to the global climate crisis.

In some cases, marine dredging may be necessary, for example, for maintaining and deepening navigation channels and harbours, or to protect shorelines from erosion caused by waves, currents, and storms.

In a time when sustainability news is often rather pessimistic, we think it’s also important to shed light on the positive developments and share the great projects that are happening. Preserving nature and enhancing sustainability is critical and urgent. There are already hundreds of projects helping the planet and helping society move in the right direction. 

There is still so much to do, but let’s see what’s already happening out there.