Our Story |
How it all Began

Ireland’s native oyster reefs once helped keep our coastal waters healthy and full of life. Over time, they disappeared.

What was lost was more than just oysters. Entire ecosystems declined, biodiversity was reduced and our seas lost one of nature’s most effective water filtration systems. But nature has an extraordinary ability to recover when given the chance.

Green Ocean grew from that belief in recovery — and from a simple idea that began far from the shoreline, in a small Irish coffee company. David and Marguerite Lawlor, owners of Watermark Coffee, wanted to help people reconnect with the ocean by supporting restoration projects that were real, local and open to everyone. Buying a bag of Green Ocean Coffee or joining us on the water became an easy way for people to take part in something bigger.

For the first four years, Watermark Coffee funded all of Green Ocean’s work, with €1 from every bag of Green Ocean Coffee sold going directly into restoration projects. The hope was always that Green Ocean would one day stand on its own — and, in time, it did.

By 2024, the support around Green Ocean had grown into a movement. We became a company limited by guarantee and welcomed two experienced professionals to our board. In December 2025, Green Ocean Foundation became a registered charity, marking an important step in our journey and reflecting best practice in the charity sector.

Today, Green Ocean Foundation continues the work that started with a bag of coffee and a belief in the power of community. Every oyster returned to the water represents cleaner seas, richer biodiversity and hope for future generations.

Green Ocean was founded on a simple belief: that Ireland’s marine environment can recover, and that communities can play a vital role in making that happen.

Since 2023, we have been working with scientists, volunteers, schools, businesses and local communities to restore native oysters in Dublin Bay and beyond. Through a series of pilot projects and our partnership with DCU Water Institute, we have shown that restoration is not only possible — it is already underway.

Every oyster returned to the water represents something bigger than a single species: cleaner water, richer biodiversity and stronger, more resilient coastal ecosystems.

Most importantly, it shows that positive environmental change is possible when people come together with hope, ambition and a shared sense of purpose and action.