For the first time on such a large scale, research is being conducted into how reefs can be restored in the North Sea.
Scientists, offshore companies, government bodies, nature organisations in the Netherlands are participating in the ReefCreate-XL project, which was launched in the spring of 2026 as an initiative of Nature Regeneration North Sea.
The project, which is led by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), is focused is on designing reef structures.
Over the next four years, ReefCreate-XL will investigate which reef structures are suitable for large-scale use and can help revive underwater life.
NIOZ said hard structures such as oyster reefs are vital nurseries for biodiversity at sea. Over recent decades, however, they have almost completely disappeared due to human activities and disease among other factors.
During this preparatory year, the project team will design and improve different reef structures, which will be tested under natural conditions in the North Sea in 2027. Pilot deployments will take place offshore at the Frisian Front, a protected nature area north of the Wadden Islands, about a day’s sailing from Harlingen.
The development of the new reef structures and their impact on marine life will then be closely monitored for two years.
NIOZ said the project will offer valuable insights into how reefs can be rolled out at scale, in collaboration with contractors, consultants, researchers and NGOs connected to the maritime infrastructure sector.
This year, the project team will continue developing existing reef structures by testing and improving them for large-scale use. Examples include “treereefs,” which are discarded fruit trees that act as wooden reef structures and attract underwater life, and “spat on substrate,” where millions of young oysters are attached to stones.
Based on the results, the final designs will go into production. At the same time, all necessary preparations are being made to place the reefs on the seabed next year and to monitor them closely.
