9ft Bank Shellfish Reef was an old degraded shellfish reef that lies in 3 to 4 metres of water in Corio Bay, Port Phillip. It featured small dispersed clumps of Australian flat oysters rather than a consolidated reef.

Many observational dives were conducted over the years, and the 9ft Bank site was mapped by Deakin University in 2018 using multi-beam and towed video surveys. With 9ft Bank still having a remnant population of oysters, a 'light touch' restoration approach was planned by strategically deploying recycled shell substrate in the gaps between the oyster clumps in October or November 2020, before spawning occurs, to allow for natural recruitment. Over time the plan is to restore this shellfish reef to its former glory.

Dive Type: Reef Dive

Imported from The Scuba Doctor