Posters
Come meet the poster presenters to ask them questions and discuss their work
We would like to invite you to come and see the posters at our upcoming conference. The posters will showcase a diverse range of research topics, and will give delegates an opportunity to engage with the authors and learn more about their work. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or simply curious about the latest developments in your field, we believe that the posters will offer something of interest to everyone. So please join us at the conference and take advantage of this opportunity to learn and engage with your peers in industry and the academic community.
PO021: Better Oyster Outplacement & Seeding Techniques (BOOST) project
Robijn Brongersma, Environmental Engineer, Boskalis
Abstract
The North Sea's seabed once consisted of about 30% shellfish reefs, mainly the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis), now classified by the IUCN as 'collapsed'. In the Netherlands, projects have begun to explore restoration methods, but face challenges in economic feasibility, oyster cultivation, monitoring, upscaling, and decommissioning. Oysters require hard substrates for settlement and reef development, which can be provided by offshore wind farm infrastructure like rocks in scour protection. Boskalis, with partners BlueLinked, Advanced Tower Systems, De Rijke Noordzee, Lobster Robotics, Wageningen University & Research, has tested a scalable oyster restoration method in the Better Oyster Outplacement & Seeding Techniques (BOOST) project. The project assesses the ReefBooster concept: a small 3D degradable structure developed by BlueLinked for oyster spat settlement, deployable on small and large scale to initiate reef restoration. The project had two main phases: the first analyzed oyster settlement on ReefBoosters in a controlled hatchery environment, focusing on bio-receptiveness and settlement rates. ReefBooster's substrate compositions were evaluated for spat settlement, marine life attachment, and degradability. Hatchery experiments used 240 ReefBoosters with four material compositions. AI image analysis was tested to identify and measure spat growth. The second phase assessed the ReefBooster’s nearshore performance. With Boskalis as contractor, installation experiments were performed during which 4,000 ReefBoosters were installed with Boskalis equipment in Rotterdam harbour. Deployments included Reefboosters with and without spat across four plots. Different techniques were used: scalable crate systems, line installation, and larger vessels for upscaling in future projects. Monitoring was performed using an ROV. Results indicated no statistical difference in oyster settlement across materials and biodiversity assessments after one year. Installation pilots proved effective for nearshore deployment and scalable for larger projects. Innovations like the ReefBooster concept can enhance oyster restoration potential in the offshore wind market, adding considerable value to current and future projects.
No recording available for this poster.
