Indian coastal zones are highly productive, ecologically fragile, sensitive to anthropogenic activities and experiencing rapid development. Conservation and management of coastal zones including sheltered environments (bays) and estuaries are the need of the hour for sustainable development. Generally, coastal areas receive excess amounts of organic and inorganic pollutants from various anthropogenic activities, which leads to eutrophication, algal bloom and disease outbreaks in ecologically sensitive areas, directly impacting fishery productivity and coastal and marine biodiversity. Oyster reef restoration in estuaries and bays can be an important step towards controlling coastal pollution around India. Suitable oyster reef restoration in different bays/estuaries may reduce nutrient/metal fluxes to the water column and improve overall coastal marine health in the coastal systems. In this context, “Oyster Reef Watch Programme (ORWaP)” was undertaken to identify and document the status of degrading oyster reefs in selected estuaries of India and to prepare restoration and management programmes for highly degraded oyster reefs