Industrial - Bachelor

Oyster Forest

A modular oyster reef restoration module designed in partnership with InDepth Innovations.

Isabella Warne

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90% of Australia’s oyster reefs have been destroyed, making them a critically endangered habitat.

This is crucial as oyster reef’s provide positive impacts such as; biodiversity, water filtration, shoreline protection and more (Australian Environmental Education, 2026).

Research

Oyster Forest is a response to a critical lack of specifically designed restoration effort towards the heavily bio-significant oyster reefs of Australia. Research was conducted into existing products, to determine what is currently being implemented and with leading experts in relation fields to use their expertise to ensure the oyster forest has its intended long-lasting positive impact.

BEnchmarking

An overlapping radial diagram illustrating the top four performing reef restoration modules overlapping, showcasing what success criteria they are hitting and which they are missing.
Through extensive benchmarking of existing reef restoration modules, it was immediately noted that there are very few modules designed specifically for oyster reef restoration, instead the focus is placed on coral reefs. Nine existing products were analysed determining that future modules should be designed to encompass the criteria currently lacking in the market; interlock ability, stack ability, and accelerating water flow.

Methodology

For primary data collection three methods were used:

Archival Observations:
– Analysing and documenting the process of current reef restoration module installation to identify pain points through 4 archival videos

Semi-structure interviews:
(two of these were conducted)
– One with an environmental scientist working with a leading oyster reef restoration company, to determine the issues experienced with current companies instigating this restoration effort
– The second with a leading researcher in the biology of oysters, specifically their reproduction, to determine what features of oyster reefs are most crucial to ensure repeated safe oyster reproduction and adhesion

Finally, online surveys:
– One was targeted at water way users, with 25 respondents, who both are impacted by the installation of oyster reef restoration modules and therefore can limit and interfere with their effectiveness.
– The other was targeted at existing reef restoration companies, with 4 respondents, looking into the rate of module installation and manufacturing and the main blocks to this process

findings

oyster reproduction & adhesion

An oyster reef extruding from the river it is placed in. Trees in the background, oyster reef in the foreground.
– Oysters reproductive window is from December to February and happens only once a year

– Oysters reproduce via released fertilised eggs into the water ways, these eggs then mature into spat (juvenile) oysters who float on the water current until finding a safe space to settle where they will remain the rest of their life

– Oysters only adhere to clean hard surfaces, these surfaces are identified via their output of a chemical calcium carbonate signal, also produced by oyster shells

– Any reef restoration module left in Australian water ways for over 2 months will be unusable due to a build-up of a thick layer of sediment

– This sediment build up is a fact of our current water ways and must be designed for instead of optimistically ignored, it additionally blocks this chemical signal preventing spat oyster adhesion

– Reef restoration module surfaces constantly exposed to sunlight will develop algae turf growth, further collecting sediment and preventing spat oyster adhesion


Name
RESEARCH REPORT
File Type
application
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design implications

– Increased surface area, for spat oyster adhesion, can be achieved through increased rugosity and interstices

– Sloped surfaces can allow for the water flow to speed up over reef restoration modules, lessening the sediment fall out

– Making the modules handleable allows for manual spat adhesion, jump starting the oyster population of your chosen installation location though this currently brings along the likelihood of spreading disease such as QX disease

– Ensuring the module is both small and light enough to be installed without technology, such as cranes and boats, significantly reduces the cost of installation and therefore increases the ability of impact for the module, as most modules are installed by volunteers

– Lifting the settlement space of the water way floor will minimise the surface area made unusable by sediment buildup

– Designing future reef restoration modules to be interconnectable not only makes the artificial reef evolving and growing mimicking a natural reef but also allows the reef to provide other environmental benefits such as coastal protection and increased seagrass habitat

process

design outcome

The oyster forest is made up of three vertically stacked oyster trees, each of which weighs 29kg and is 432mm tall, this was designed to allow for easy manipulation and installation by a wide variety of users and volunteers.
The oyster forest is manufactured out of 20 MPa concrete and formed via a fibre glass mould made up of 3 parts; two symmetrical mould halves, and one mould insert. The mould is designed to be poured into upside down and has a cross bar for a stable mould base.

Features:

– Wedges on either side of the oyster tree are used both for handles for the oyster reef when being carried in and installed by volunteers and also as weight supports for the module stacked above

– The holes on perpendicular sides of the oyster tree are to allow the passage of spat oysters to the internal surface area of the module, while being small enough to protect these fragile juvenile oysters from larger predators such as fish and crustaceans

– The sloped front of the oyster forest and trees allows the water flowing over and into it to speed up, reducing the likelihood of sediment fall out and ensuring any sediment that does land on the module will slide off and build up around the base instead of on the exterior surfaces

– Internally, there is a funnel to guide the stacking rod into the above module smoothly to make installation as easy as possible

It is important to note that there is no specifically designed base of the oyster forest, this was in order to make the module as cost effective as possible, as creating a separate mould for a concrete base would almost double the cost of manufacturing the oyster forest. Instead, the bottom (of three) oyster trees internal surface area is sacrificed as a base instead.

The oyster forest is designed to be comfortably carried by a wide variety of users both upside down and right side up. This allows the device to be picked up and carried vertically and sunken upside down. This prevents air build up in the module making it easier to manoeuvre under the water.

final prototype

Isabella Warne

Isabella, better known as Bella, is a soon to be graduated industrial design student passionate in working to improve our environment. She is known for her bubbly personality, and eagerness to learn, through strong group participation and a desire to ask questions to fully understand the topic at hand. She has done an additional study year abroad at the Danish Technology University (DTU) studying environmental engineering to further educate herself on the current and future issues we will face due to climate change.

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