Testing oyster reef performance in different marine environments by tracking growth, survival, and species colonisation over time. This research monitors pre-spatted reefs across multiple sites assessing reef development, including mortality, density, and the presence of benthic and invasive species. Using eDNA, taxonomy, and sediment analysis, it evaluates how reef deployment influences benthic communities compared to baseline and control conditions.

Investigating how oyster reefs influence nutrient dynamics through filtration, microbial activity, and nitrogen removal, supporting their role as nature-based solutions to coastal nutrient pollution. This research examines sediment sequestration, microbial community structure, and denitrification processes by combining fieldwork with microbiological and molecular approaches to quantify how reefs remove excess nitrogen and improve water quality.

Building on a long-established partnership in Denmark, we have conducted multiple studies on microbial communities and the role of native biofilms in larval settlement. Our research includes microbial community analyses in seawater and site swabs to understand ecosystem dynamics. In a separate study, we assessed how native biofilms affect oyster larval settlement, comparing spat collectors, standard bricks, and Oyster Heaven substrates to optimize recruitment and reef restoration.