The Forgotten Reef: Why the world can’t afford to keep losing shellfish

On this episode of OzCast, Dr Dominic Mcafee looks beneath the surface at Australia’s lost shellfish reefs and our road to recover them back from the brink of extinction.  

Dr McAfee is a marine ecologist at the University of Adelaide who has dedicated his career to the restoration of Australia’s oyster reefs. After stumbling across the topic while at university, he has become one of the leading names spearheading the revival methods taking place throughout Australia and overseas.  

His research encompasses ecological experiments on the seafloor and along shorelines, as well as within laboratory settings, all aimed at deciphering how oysters perceive their surroundings to select optimal habitats.  

Throughout the episode, Dom dives into these techniques, explaining how they work, what he aims to achieve in doing them and, most importantly, what he has learnt across the past decade above and below the surface. Interestingly, Dom explains that one of the whackier techniques has been using underwater speakers and the effect these have had on the nearby baby oyster lavae that are looking for somewhere to begin their life on the seafloor. 

With an unwaver