In exploited regions around the world, such as the North Sea, oyster reef habitats are in massive decline. Overfishing has driven them to near extinction, with trillions of oysters missing from our oceans. Oyster Heaven employs a patented clay substrate as a nature-based scaffolding to support native oysters worldwide. This low-cost, large-scale substrate provides a foothold for oysters, allowing natural processes to take over. By developing and selling its scalable technology, Oyster Heaven aims to address coastal or supply chain resilience issues. With our scalable technology, we aim to professionalize the industry and tackle the massive loss in our oceans.
Introducing the Mother Reef
Oyster Heaven’s patented substrate, the Mother Reef, is an antidote to three critical problems on the market: scarcity, permissibility, and scalability. The use of traditional materials, such as oyster shells, is often challenging due to the availability of practical abundance, and they cannot be sourced elsewhere due to biosecurity issues. Concrete, granite, or limestone substrate alternatives are impossible to permit in sensitive coastal areas because of their persistence and unnaturalness. 3D printed or technically complex alternatives have been proven too expensive and slow to scale.
The Mother Reef substrate solution is a ubiquitous option. Clay is one of the most abundant materials on the planet and is often found in the delta and coastal sites slated for development. When fired at lower temperatures, clay is permissible and can erode in the water over a predictable period of time into sediment indistinguishable from the sediment already there.
Oyster Heaven produces reefs with the brick manufacturing industry, offering unparalleled scale that is available in generic circumstances anywhere in the world where bricks are made. One factory can produce 240,000 units per day—enough for 100 hectares of submerged surface.
Filling a Gap
Oyster Heaven solves three supply chain and business resilience issues very well:
- Coastal resilience: Oyster Heaven can serve the insurance industry, government, or real estate development to enhance the resilience of their coastal infrastructure in the face of rising sea levels and increasing prevalence of storm surges. Oysters form living concrete mats that act as living breakwaters.
- Water quality: Oyster Heaven can work with water utilities, aquaculture, or agriculture to help mitigate last-mile water quality issues that arise as a necessary but manageable impact on their business operations. One oyster filters 200 liters of water per day from all types of pollution, including eutrophication, causing nutrients, sediment, and microplastics.
- Biodiversity: Oyster Heaven can work with supermarkets, fisheries, and other organizations that rely on healthy fish populations for their ingredients. Oyster reefs are the homes for hundreds of species, including large amounts of those that are commercially important, like crab, cod, lobster, or mackerel.
Current Progress
Oyster Heaven’s first three full-scale projects serve governments and high-profile corporate clients in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK, with further projects being developed on the East Coast of the US, Ireland, Scotland, and Denmark.
When asked about Ocean Exchange and the role of ocean accelerators in the success of start-ups, George Birch shares, “One of the most challenging issues for startups is being able to be heard and reach the right audience. Ideas can be easily lost in the noise. Ocean accelerators are the perfect vehicle for convening, matchmaking, and collaboration. We are thrilled to be given this chance as a finalist at Ocean Exchange.”
Oyster Heaven was one of three winners at Ocean Exchange 2024. As an awardee of the Neptune Award, the company provided a solution that advanced our understanding of the ocean and will help to minimize the impact on these resources, resulting in more resilient bodies of water, including healthy marine life and coastlines. With the award, Oyster Heaven hopes to fill some of its greatest needs in the next 12 months, including the launch of projects in the US, releasing two further patents, and enhancing their existing artificial reef recipes.
As the exclusive media partner to the event, ON&T’s editorial team was onsite in late October, bringing readers all the news and insights from Fort Lauderdale. To find out more, visit: https://oceannews.com/featured-stories/accelerating-the-adoption-of-innovative-solutions-ocean-exchange-2024/
