Oyster Heaven

🏙️ Three days, four cities & innumerable connections to collaborate on the global energy transition! 🚌 What an eventful week of facilitating connections & dialogue about the role offshore wind has in the global energy transition! From Boston to Falmouth, Bourne and New Bedford in Massachusetts, to Providence in Rhode Island to New London in Connecticut & all the way to New York City, the offshore wind delegation covered a lot of ground (& water!). 🚢 Last Thursday was all about New Bedford. At the New Bedford Offshore Wind Conference, networking, round table discussions, panels, & flash sessions all revolved around one thing: US-NL collaboration on R&D in offshore wind. From supply chain development & integration to training to research, innovation and technology to strategies for the future, we were so inspired to hear from US and Dutch innovators alike. Thanks to all speakers: Tony (Semco Maritime), Joel (Foss Offshore Wind), Michael (Shoreline Offshore), Bob (TKI Offshore Energy), Olivia (The Carbon Trust), Arjan (MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands), Lisa (Massachusetts Clean Energy Center), Kathie (MassMEP), Olivia (MassMEP), Laura (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)), Dan (Vineyard Wind) and Tamika (Avangrid). 🐋 The day ended with a sunset cruise of the Port of New Bedford & a networking reception at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. 🍩 Friday kicked off with programming on the bus! Kristin & Paul presented on the Connecticut Wind Collaborative & State of Connecticut's offshore wind innovation ambitions. Thanks for also sharing the best donuts with us! We ended our time in New London with a tour of the State Pier & after some presentations by Kristin, Paul and Paul, the delegation was able to pitch their innovative solutions in offshore wind to local experts. 🗽 You can't talk about offshore wind in NYC without a visit to the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub. Many thanks to our colleagues, Barry & Carter, for collaborating with us on this event. After a great lunch, we learned about the challenges in innovation uptake offshore wind in the US, focusing on the regulatory landscape. Thanks Julia, Lyndie, and Anna for sharing your perspectives! 🚀 After, we broke out into three groups for a workshop session on OSW pilot testing, commercialization & R&D collaboration, where our American counterparts were able to hear from three members of the delegation, Oyster Heaven, Lobster Robotics & GROW offshore wind, on their innovative solutions and processes! 🍎 We ended with a presentation (& tour!) by Equinor & New York City Economic Development Corporation on the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, home of the first offshore wind farm to deliver power into NYC! 🌊 We are still processing the sheer magnitude of information & potential partnerships spun out of the mission, but one thing remains clear: US-NL collaboration in OSW is crucial to accelerating progress that is both impactful and contributes to our global climate goals.

🦪 Oyster are our new partners in crime, to fight climate change. did you know that Oysters used to cover up to 30% (!!!) of the North sea? Now we're down to less than 1%... I had no idea they were so powerful, here's some great facts: 🦪 One oyster can filter up to 190 liters of water PER DAY! 🌊 They extract and store carbon from seawater to build their shells 🌊 Oyster reefs absorb up to 93% of wave energy, which reduces erosion 🦪 They require no feed, as they filter their own food from the water 🐠 🐡 🦀 🐟 🪼 Oysters also create important habitats for other marine life, hence boosting biodiversity The great thing is that there are projects out there, already leveraging their potential. In the Netherlands, we have Oyster Heaven by George Birch, MBA, whom I had the great pleasure to meet with We Are Impact Collective. To recreate oyster reefs, they created Mother Reef - a brick-like, biodegradable substrate for oyster regeneration. They are the sort of scaffolding to cover the sea floor. Each brick is pre-charged with at least 100 oysters each before we plant them into our oceans. Similarly, the Billion Oyster Project is restoring oyster reefs to New York. Apart from filtering the water and fostering biodiversity, they will also shield NYC shorelines from storms which are more present then ever. The New York Harbor used to be home to oyster reefs as large as four times the city of Amsterdam... Globally, overharvesting oysters has demolished about 85% of Earth’s oyster reefs in the past two centuries. On a more positive note, the mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a similar project in the British capital. I think Oyster Heaven's Mother Reefs could nicely work in both New York and London, no? What do you think, George Birch, MBA?  :) 

Winning the Neptune Award is a huge honour, and we’re grateful to Ocean Exchange for the chance to showcase our solution!

We are thrilled to announce that 𝗢𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 at the Ocean Exchange Competition! 🎉 This award is granted to solutions that advance our understanding of the ocean and help minimize our impact on these resources, even while using them for human benefit, resulting in more resilient bodies of water. George Birch, MBA presented Oyster Heaven as a solution for ocean restoration. It was an incredible honour to be part of this competition, not only to present our innovative approach but also to exchange ideas and inspiration with fellow finalists and an engaged audience. Congratulations to all the finalists on their outstanding solutions, and a huge thank you to the Ocean Exchange for hosting such an impactful and inspiring event. We couldn't be happier! 🌎 🦪 #OceanExchange #NeptuneAward #NatureBasedSolutions #OceanHealth #Innovation

We’re honoured to be part of the Dutch delegation visiting New England with the Netherlands Innovation Network in Boston. Last week, George Birch, MBA presented Oyster Heaven at the Connecticut Wind Collaborative, exploring new opportunities for collaboration at the New London port in Connecticut. Netherlands Innovation Network in the United States

Oyster reef restoration is not just about bringing oysters back into the ocean. It's about rewilding the ocean to heal ecosystems and spark a domino effect of positive environmental impacts. 🌊 Our latest blog explores how these "ecosystem engineers" provide sustainable solutions to multiple environmental challenges at once. 👉 How do you think we should tackle environmental issues today? Click the link in the comments to dive into the full article. 🔗 🦪 #OysterReefs #MarineRestoration #NatureBasedSolutions #RewildingTheOcean #Seawilding #ClimateResilience

Should businesses invest in nature? 🤔🌍 And why? Tell us what you think in the comments.⬇️ 🦪 #Sustainability #CSR #NatureInvestments #investment #SustainableBusinesses

As climate change accelerates, coastal areas face increasing threats from rising sea levels, storm surges and erosion. 🌊 👉 At Oyster Heaven, we always believe in 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. In our latest blog we explore how 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗳𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 can effectively protect coastlines and provide countless benefits for the marine environment at the same time. Click the link in the comments to learn more. ❓How do you think we can better integrate nature-based solutions into coastal protection strategies? 🦪 #LivingBreakwaters #NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateChange

📢 We're thrilled to announce that Oyster Heaven has made it to the finals of the Ocean Exchange competition in Florida! Our founder, George Birch, MBA, will be showcasing our project to a top-notch audience representing all key sectors of the Blue Economy. We're honoured to be among the 15 finalists, standing alongside other innovations that are making a real difference for our oceans. Here we all have a common goal: accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans. This is already a win! 🙌 #OceanExchangeCompetition #BlueEconomy #Innovation #OceanHealth

It’s time we start regenerating more than we consume. By restoring oyster reefs, we’re rebuilding ecosystems and giving back to the ocean—helping to balance what we once took. 🦪 #MarineRegeneration #Rewilding #SDG #Sustainability #NatureRestoration