An innovative artificial reef project at The Dell, Clifton Springs, is making waves in coastal protection and marine restoration, thanks to a unique partnership between the City of Greater Geelong, the University of Melbourne, and local community members.
Installed in October 2022, the award-winning Dell Eco Reef is a nature-based solution designed to combat coastal erosion along the Bellarine Peninsula.
It also aims to restore marine habitats, including the critically threatened native flat oyster.
As part of the project, scientists from the University of Melbourne's Coastal and Estuarine Adaptation Lab – supported by the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action via the Port Phillip Bay Fund – have begun trials to reintroduce native oysters to the area.
Researchers and community volunteers recently deployed over 1,000 juvenile Angasi oysters onto the reef modules, which will be monitored over the coming months for survival and growth.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Stretch Kontelj OAM
This project is testament to the incredible people working at the City of Greater Geelong and their ability to collaborate with conservation leaders.It is not hard to see why the Dell has been recognised nationally and globally and the work being done there now only serves to validate the praise our team has received.
Community involvement has been a key feature of the project, with local residents, school students, and coast care volunteers helping with the oyster deployment and continuing to contribute to ongoing monitoring efforts.
City of Greater Geelong Strategic Coastal Planner, Ralph Roob
This is really about more than just coastal protection, it is about bringing back an entire ecosystem and building resilience against climate change.We hope the lessons we learn here will help protect other vulnerable coastlines, not just in sheltered bays, but in more exposed environments too.
With plans to expand the reef and incorporate navigation aids in future modules, the Dell Eco Reef is now attracting attention from coastal managers across Australia looking for effective, scalable nature-based solutions.
