ORA Reefs

Venture focus:

ORA Reefs is tackling ecosystem collapse in the Hauraki Gulf through a multi-pronged approach that addresses biodiversity loss at its roots.

Without a thriving ocean ecosystem, we lose an intangible piece of ourselves. For us, our ocean is intrinsic to who we are. We cannot separate our wellbeing from the wellbeing of the sea.

It is no longer enough to merely prohibit destructive human activities. Overfishing, seabed disturbance, sedimentation, and the compounding effects of climate change are slowing our ocean’s ability to heal itself.

Adopt-A-Reef by ORA Reefs is tackling ecosystem collapse in the Hauraki Gulf through a long-term, multi-pronged approach that unites people and nature to accelerate a return of reef biodiversity.

2ha

Kina barren cleared

1000ha

Goal restoration

Partnerships so far

$1.5m

Funding mobilised

20ha

Drone mapping completed to date

100%

Commitment to ocean regeneration

Why restoration is needed

When fish and other predators are left in the ecosystem, they keep sea urchin (kina) numbers in check and allow kelp forests to recover. Healthy kelp forests often sit only a kilometre away from degraded reefs, acting as natural seedbanks: spores drift on currents, settle, and gradually regenerate the barren rock. Left alone, this process can take years. Our focus is speeding this up and ensuring reef recovery is maintained and expanded over decades.

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The core focuses

Integrated ecosystem restoration

We restore habitats as connected ecosystems, not individual sites. Our co-ordinated approach removes kina barrens, reintroduces crayfish as natural kina predators and juvenile scallops to restore wild populations, rebuilds habitat complexity with artificial reef modules, and connects people directly to restoration through eco-tourism.

Sustainable finance tools

Ecosystem recovery requires patient capital. ORA Reefs is exploring innovative funding mechanisms such as a Marine Nature Credit to enable restoration over a timescale that delivers impact and supports stewardship by indigenous iwi, community groups, and local partners.

Adopt A Reef

Your support directly restores degraded reefs across the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana, bringing life back to places where underwater forests, shellfish, and marine species once thrived. Through ORA Reefs' Adopt A Reef programme, you can fund practical, on-the-water restoration guided by te ao Māori principles and delivered with transparent monitoring so you can see the difference your contribution makes.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

Advancing knowledge on how marine restoration is measured and verified, ORA Reefs combines ROV (remotely operated vehicle), drones, diver surveys, camera deployment, satellite imagery and emerging technologies like AI-machine learning to establish baselines, track ecological change, and validate restoration outcomes over time.

Our approach

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ORA Reefs is designed to move marine restoration from isolated projects to a repeatable, scalable programme. We focus on taking proven science, established restoration methods, and practical tools, and applying them at the scale needed to support real ecosystem recovery.

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Since early 2025, ORA has tested how to achieve measurable ecological uplift. Using robust ecological monitoring, we:

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• Establish pre-restoration baselines for biodiversity and habitat condition;

• Monitor ecological changes following intervention;

• Trial approaches for how uplift could be credibly measured.

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As reefs recover, we translate uplift into credible nature credits and other blue finance tools that - with investor support - unlock sustained funding. ORA Reefs is building partnerships with mana whenua and investors to scale reef restoration. To explore collaboration or meet kanohi-ki-te-kanohi, we would value the opportunity to connect.

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Join us

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Without intervention, the issues facing Tīkapa Moana/The Hauraki Gulf will continue to worsen, impacting ecosystems and communities. We believe sustainable development and environmental conservation can coexist, benefiting businesses, communities, and ecosystems. Talk to us today;

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Rebecca Barclay-Cameron, Blue Ventures Director

rebecca.barclay@envirostrat.co.nz

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Alison Smith, Communications and Marketing Lead

alison.smith@envirostrat.co.nz

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Ayla Lunn, ORA Reefs Project Co-ordinator

ayla.lunn@oranz.org

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