Engineering Resilience: The Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project as a Model for Nature-Based Coastal Adaptation

Shellfish reefs are an essential ecology for the health, resilience and sustainability of estuarine and marine ecosystems throughout the world. They create complex habitats, filter large volumes of water, enhance fish productivity and sequester carbon dioxide. However, from the 19th century, many shellfish habitats were severely damaged or destroyed and their preservation and restoration is now a priority. More recently, their capacity to mitigate erosion, sequester carbon dioxide and build wider foreshores has resulted in their adoption as a nature-based solution for coastal protection. 

The Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project is one such project that highlights the value of engineering innovation in nature-based coastal resilience and the effectiveness of shellfish reefs as engineered infrastructure. The project was led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in partnership with The Thomas Foundation, Noosa Shire Council and the Australian Government Reefbuilder program, with the aim of restoring oyster reefs and their benefits to the lower Noosa River. Stakeholder consultation with local community groups and Traditional Owners aligned the project to their values and priorities, setting a model for equitable adaption in coastal communities. A multidisciplinary planning approach was also adopted to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. 

International Coastal Management (ICM) worked with TNC to facilitate approvals and lead the engineering and construction of the project. ICM applied advanced coastal engineering and adaptive design methods to create 30 reef patches covering 2,268 m², selected through rigorous site analysis and environmental mapping. The challenges of the estuarine site required innovative reef designs strategically positioned to promote oyster recruitment, stabilise the riverbank, and accommodate the river’s steep profile, ensuring navigational safety and minimising impacts on sensitive habitats and local processes. The reefs were constructed with locally sourced igneous rock, precisely placed with barge-mounted excavators and with spat seeded oyster shells placed within voids. This design optimised conditions for oyster colonisation and habitat complexity to enhance the estuarine ecosystem. 

Following the completion of the reefs in October 2022, monitoring documented successful young oyster ‘spat’ recruitment, high oyster densities, and growth rates exceeding targets, with 550 oysters per m² compared to a baseline goal of 200 per m². Mangrove and seagrass colonisation at the reefs and stabilisation of the riverbank was also observed. Throughout 2023-2024, monitoring revealed the engineered reefs outperformed natural oyster beds which had degraded in that time. This design approach positioned ICM’s engineering work as a technical benchmark for shellfish reef restoration, providing a resilient and adaptable coastal defence structure within a complex estuarine system. 

The Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project demonstrates how engineering can create adaptable, nature-based solutions to coastal challenges. By integrating robust technical design with ecological goals and community priorities, ICM developed a scalable, effective model for global coastal resilience aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement. This project serves as a case study on how science-driven, multidisciplinary engineering can enhance the resilience of estuarine ecosystems and address the evolving demands of climate adaptation.