Seafood lovers, restaurants and volunteers are being encouraged to play a hands-on role in South Australia’s coastal recovery, with a new initiative turning everyday seafood shells into the building blocks of future shellfish reefs.
Launched as part of the State Government’s algal bloom recovery efforts, Shells for Reefs invites South Australians to enjoy local seafood this summer, recycle their shells and get involved in community-led reef restoration projects underway along the state’s coastline.
Shellfish reefs act as natural water filters and can help improve resilience during events such as algal blooms.
Members of the public are encouraged to bring along shells from seafood consumed at home, which will be recycled into new reef habitat — a key component of the Government’s $102.5 million summer plan responding to the algal bloom.
To make participation easy, designated shell collection bins are now available at Port Noarlunga Jetty, Burnside Civic Centre, and a Tennyson Dunes site. Hospitality businesses and event organisers are also being invited to contribute by donating shells through fish habitat charity OzFish, particularly over the busy Summer months.
Donations collected from households and industry will support a major reef restoration project at Largs Bay, using more than nine tonnes of recycled oyster, mussel and scallop shells. Beyond this site, the State Government will invest in 25 additional community reefs across the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, with locations to be selected in partnership with local councils, community groups and Traditional Owners.
The projects will be delivered with support from The University of Adelaide and OzFish, with volunteers playing a crucial role behind the scenes. Donated shells will be sorted and sanitised at Garden Island and regional locations before being placed into degradable metal cages or mesh bags, which are then positioned on the seafloor to form the foundation for new reefs.
A new volunteer portal listing shellfish restoration programs and other recovery initiatives is now live at algalbloom.sa.gov.au/get-involved. The portal coincides with the rollout of the summer plan’s latest measure — a share of $1 million in grants for community groups and not-for-profit organisations to build new coastal infrastructure in areas impacted by the bloom. Grants of up to $50,000 are available, with applications open until Friday, 9 January.
Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Lucy Hood MP said, “Restoring shellfish reefs will help create healthy, resilient marine ecosystems – and everyone can get involved in supporting these projects.”
“We heard at our community forums that it’s important to get kids involved, which is why a family day is a fun and accessible way for the next generation to learn and engage in the algal bloom recovery,” she said.
Chef and Ocean Bar and Kitchen owner Adam Swanson added, “The quality of South Australian oysters right now is among the best I’ve seen in more than 20 years in the industry.”
University of Adelaide marine ecologist Dr Dominic McAfee said native oysters play a vital environmental role, explaining, “Oysters are filter feeders that consume phytoplankton and other small algae suspended in the water, and this includes some types of algae blooms.”
