Posted on June 3, 2026
Last week, we took an important step in the restoration of oyster reefs in the Belgian North Sea. On the seabed of a protected marine area, we placed 2,000 stones, inoculated with a total of 400,000 young, hatchery-grown oysters. With this intervention, we are directly contributing to the recovery of an ecosystem that once played a key role in the North Sea.
Oyster reefs are highly valuable habitats. They increase biodiversity, support fish production, and strengthen the natural functioning of marine ecosystems. This is precisely why we are committed to restoring this habitat.
A mobile oyster reef restoration unit
For this project, we designed and built our own oyster reef restoration unit: a modular container-based installation that functions as a mobile and globally deployable oyster hatchery facility.
In this system, we grew 400,000 oyster larvae in just a few weeks, ready for deployment at sea. The system is fully operational on site and can be used worldwide for similar restoration projects.
Carefully selected location: the Dageraad wreck site
We placed the stones on the carefully selected Dageraad wreck site, a marine area in the North Sea with historical gravel beds and hydrodynamic conditions that limit sediment burial. The site also provides natural protection against beam trawling, which increases the chances of successful and long-term reef restoration.
