ICM Celebrates UN Recognition of Australia's Shellfish Reef Program

The global spotlight has turned to Australia, with the Reef Builder project receiving UN World Restoration Flagship status, an award that recognises initiatives that support global commitments to restore one billion hectares. This is a major milestone for shellfish reef recovery, and International Coastal Management (ICM) is proud to be one of the partners supporting delivery of some of these flagship projects.

Led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in partnership with the Australian Government, Reef Builder has restored more than 64 hectares of native oyster and mussel reefs across 21 sites since 2021. By 2030, the program aims to rebuild 60 reefs, restoring function and biodiversity to around 30% of their original locations.

Noosa Oyster Reef Restoration Project | ICM

Why Shellfish Reefs Matter

Shellfish reefs are vital natural assets that support:

• Water filtration and improved estuarine water quality

• Habitat complexity that supports fish and invertebrate communities

• Shoreline protection benefits, including wave energy reduction and foreshore building

• Carbon storage within living systems and associated sediments

Yet across Australia, more than 90% of shellfish reefs have been lost since the 19th century, making restoration an urgent priority for both ecological and community outcomes.

Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project

One of the flagship sites in this national project is Noosa, where ICM worked alongside The Nature Conservancy Australia and partners to design and deliver 30 reef patches across 4 sites, using locally sourced rock and spat-seeded oyster shell. The reefs were engineered to meet ecological goals, provide secondary shoreline stabilisation benefits, and maintain river coastal processes and usability.

"These reefs are much more than just habitat restoration, they're natural and adaptive infrastructure that supports the resilience and health of our coastal and estuarine environments.” said ICM's Senior Coastal Engineer and Project Lead, Sam King.

Early success from monitoring (2022-2024) has shown:

• Successful young oyster ‘spat’ recruitment, growth rates up to 550 oysters/m² (vs baseline target of 200/m²)

• High biodiversity: oysters, hairy mussels, pearl oysters, invertebrates, seagrass and mangrove colonisation

• Sediment accretion at wave-exposed sites, reducing erosion

• Positive early stabilisation of riverbank and restoration of intertidal habitats

"ICM has been an engaged and effective project partner, delivering high-quality engineering services to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for intertidal shellfish reef restoration projects in Queensland. These initiatives require integrating complex ecological objectives with engineering requirements that often challenge regulatory frameworks, and ICM has consistently provided robust, practical solutions that have helped keep our projects on track." Said Craig Bohm, Conservation Coordinator at The Nature Conservancy (Australia)

Noosa Oyster Reef Restoration Project | Google Earth imagery (06/07/2023), Map data: Google, Vexcel Imaging US, Inc.

Taking Queensland’s experience to the global stage in Nice

This year, ICM also shared the project internationally at the United Nations One Ocean Science Congress in Nice, France, where our team presented the Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project. Presenting at OOSC provided a valuable opportunity to connect with researchers, governments, NGOs and industry groups focused on scaling coastal restoration that delivers measurable outcomes.

What’s next

ICM is now working with TNC on the Great Sandy Strait Shellfish Reef Restoration Project, continuing to apply evidence-based, nature-aligned coastal design across Queensland’s estuarine systems.

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