Native oyster reef extension

Estuary Care Foundation volunteers and BSAC divers have extended our reef for native oysters in the inner harbour of Port Adelaide, with the addition of 80 coir bags of clean recycled Pacific oyster shell and 88 adult native oysters.

The 80 bags were laid out on December 13th and the 88 adult oysters cleaned and placed on the reef on January 21st.

Funding for the coir bags, for transport of the shell and for assistance by CVA volunteers to fill the bags was provided by the Coast and Marine team of AML NRM.

The adult oysters first came to the Port River in May 2017, from Ardrossan, and have been growing successfully here in oyster baskets until now, when they joined the reef.

ECF volunteers and BSAC divers deploy bags 13.12.19

Four year old oysters ready for reef 21.1.20

Craig, David and Catherine prepare oysters for the reef 21.1.20

Dave Jackson did a further check on the reef on January 29th and found what we thought were baby oysters on the terracotta tiles, masses of small fish, blue swimmer crabs and possibly an octopus. A pinna and adult oysters, seen previously in 2019, were still alive.

Blue swimmer crab by reef 29.1.20

Native oyster on bagged shell reef 29.1.20

ECF also decided to transfer our 96 juvenile oysters (spat in May 2018) from the inner harbor to a Flinders Ports site for easier care.

Approx 20 month old oysters, moving from inner harbor to Flinders Ports 21.1.2020

We continue to have oysters in baskets at North Haven, Flinders Ports and the Sub Corp.