By Martina Igini Oysters, often overlooked in their unassuming shells, possess remarkable abilities that benefit marine life and humans alike, making them true “ecosystem engineers.” However, decades of overharvesting, habitat destruction, and water pollution have caused a significant decline in global populations, making oysters the world’s most endangered marine habitat, with an estimated 85 per cent of reefs worldwide already wiped out. For more than 700 years, oysters have been an important commodity in the Lingnan region – a geographical area that covers Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan in m…