The University of Aveiro is leading the RePor – Restoration of Oyster Reefs in Portugal project, aiming to develop an innovative strategy to restore and strengthen the resilience of oyster reefs along the Portuguese coast.
Coordinated by CESAM researcher Daniel Cleary, with the collaboration of Newton Gomes, also from CESAM, the RePor project (ref: MAR-016.9.1-FEAMPA-00004) is supported by the Mar2030 program, co-funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEMPA) under the action “Support for the Protection and Restoration of Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems.”
The project received a favorable opinion from the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), as it aligns with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and contributes to the implementation of the Northeast Atlantic Environmental Strategy of the OSPAR Convention. OSPAR is a marine convention aimed at protecting the marine environment of the Northeast Atlantic.
This project proposes an innovative approach to restore oyster reefs, which have suffered significant decline due to overexploitation and pollution, aiming to recover and enhance the ecological, economic, and social benefits of these important ecosystems.
Innovative techniques will be developed and applied to increase the resilience of juvenile oysters (Ostrea edulis), including pre-conditioning to thermal and salinity shocks, combined with microbiome modulation. The project builds on a recently developed technological platform, consisting of porous, biodegradable polymeric meshes that allow for the controlled release of microbial modulators. This technology was developed by the same team under the AquaHeal(MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP-0031, Mar2020) and BlueComposite (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-181223, Portugal 2020) projects, and is protected under the patent application EP23188811.6.
Following lab testing, the treated oysters will be transplanted to areas of the Ria de Aveiro, where indicators such as health, growth, microbial composition, and survival rate will be monitored.
Through this work, the project aims to contribute to the development of effective and sustainable strategies for the restoration of degraded marine habitats, based on biotechnological solutions adapted to the increasing environmental pressures on coastal ecosystems.