 The population of oysters here is functionally extinct. There's no larval source. It's kind of like we have to do everything from scratch. We're putting out structures, but it's like a needle in a haystack if they find them. The research team says it's a build-it-and-they-will-come scenario, eventually. If they succeed, the oysters would provide huge benefits. Oysters can defend shorelines from flooding. The reefs break the intensity of waves.