Our Technology: The Mother Reef

The fastest way to regrow lost oyster reefs

Meet The Mother Reef

The heart of our model is our technology, the Mother Reef. 

The Mother Reef bricks are the most cost-efficient substrate for oyster regeneration. They are the essential scaffolding to cover the deserted sea floor and support oysters as they grow into fully formed self-sustaining reefs. We pre-charge them with at least 100 oysters each before we plant them into our oceans.

Mother Reefs covered with spats and baby oysters:

An oyster substrate supported by WWF

Science based. Successfully tested.

Science is at the core of everything we do.

We have conducted extensive research and partnered with the best scientists to find the most effective methods for restoring oyster reefs. Our Mother Reef technology has undergone rigorous testing in both lab and ocean settings in collaboration with DTU Aqua in Denmark, as well as in the UK and Ireland with successful results, and we are constantly working on improving our technology.

On land larvae settlement

We do larvae settlement on land to ensure the survival and growth of baby oysters in a controlled environment before deployment into the sea.

Biofilm formation on Mother Reefs in tanks

Larvae settlement on Mother Reefs

Manufactured anywhere in the world

The Mother Reefs are produced in traditional brick factories, so we can produce them cheaply and anywhere in the world.

Production is rapid. One extrusion machine can produce 40.000 Mother Reefs per day!

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We partner with local fishermen to plant the reefs in the water

Our projects can be deployed anywhere in the world where oyster restoration is needed. We partner with local fishing communities and provide them with a new revenue stream and type of work.

Fishermen will use their boats, equipment and knowledge of the water to plant the Mother Reefs into the ocean. They will also benefit from the improvement of the ocean health and biodiversity.

Want to know more?

Download this free pdf to learn everything about our oyster regeneration model using the Mother Reefs; the fastest way to restore lost oyster reefs.

Partners and supportners

Read our latest blogs and articles

Rewilding the Ocean: Restoring Oyster Reefs as a Holistic Solution

In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the growing threats to our oceans, the concept of rewilding is emerging as an approach to restoring ecosystems to their natural states.
At Oyster Heaven, we believe that rewilding – or seawilding – the ocean through the restoration of oyster reefs is a key solution to help nature heal itself. By strategically restoring oyster reefs in specific locations, these reefs act as marine biodiversity hotspots encouraging species to return and thrive.

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Building Resilient Coasts with Living Breakwaters

As climate change intensifies, coastal regions around the world are facing increasing threats from rising sea levels, storm surges, and coastal erosion. Traditional artificial solutions like seawalls and breakwaters are often expensive, disruptive to marine habitats, and ultimately not sustainable in the long term.
At Oyster Heaven, we believe in turning to nature to support the best engineering solutions.

One of the most promising approaches we’ve identified is the regeneration of oyster reefs as living breakwaters to protect our coasts.

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Planetary Boundaries: Earth’s Ocean Acidification Nears Critical Threshold ​

The concept of planetary boundaries, introduced by scientists in 2009, outlines nine critical limits within which humanity can safely operate to maintain Earth’s stability.

At Oyster Heaven, we are tackling these challenges by restoring oyster reefs at scale – a vital solution for the health of marine ecosystems. Restoration of these habitats tackles many of these issues simultaneously

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Nature as a Core Business Investment

While well-run CSR programs do aim to make businesses more ethical and environmentally responsible, initiatives to support nature should not be relegated to CSR alone. Such investments should be treated as core operational costs necessary for a company’s survival, risk management, and profitability. It’s an essential cost of doing business.

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Shifting Baselines: A Hidden Challenge in Marine Restoration

Marine regeneration is an essential mission aimed at restoring our oceans back into the productive and healthy ecosystems they once were. Among the many challenges faced by conservationists, one concept that often quietly impacts efforts is the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’, first considered by fisheries scientist Daniel Pauly. This term refers to a phenomenon where each generation of scientists and ocean users accepts the condition of the environment they first encounter as the norm, or baseline, even though this baseline may have already been significantly degraded compared to previous generations.

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Unveiling bacterial secrets of oyster growth: Four questions for Dr. Natacha

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.

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