BioReef

The BioReef project aims to develop methods and protocols for restoring populations of European flat oysters and horse mussels in the Danish part of the North Sea or the Kattegat.

The project is an essential part of a global partnership between Ørsted and WWF to unite action on climate and ocean biodiversity, which, in collaboration with researchers from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua), will lead to the establishment of one or more sustainable biogenic reefs of European flat oyster and horse mussel in Danish waters.

The two bivalve species have historically been abundant in the North Sea and the Kattegat, but populations have been reduced significantly over the decades due to disturbances from human activities. Restoring populations of European flat oyster and horse mussel will bring back important lost ecosystem functions and services to the marine ecosystem.

The strategy of the BioReef project is to a successful repopulate European flat oyster and horse mussel reefs in the Danish part of the North Sea or the Kattegat. The first steps are to select suitable sites for restoration and develop successful up-scaled seed production and deployment methods to establish biogenic reefs.

The project aims to:

- Develop upscaled production of hatchery produced disease-free European flat oyster spats.

- Develop innovative and novel hatchery methods for horse mussel seed production.

- Develop methods for successful on bottom deployment at selected site(s).

The BioReef is a five-year project started in November 2022 and is funded by Ørsted.