Shellfish reefs were once a dominant feature of estuarine seascapes in southeast Queensland. However, decades of human impacts have resulted in the functional extinction of the ecosystem from Moreton Bay and its associated estuaries. Shellfish reefs filter phytoplankton, sequester nutrients, and improve water quality through sediment stabilisation, leading to improvements throughout entire seascapes. Organisations, such as utility service providers that seek to reduce impacts to receiving environments through nutrient abatement have adopted shellfish reef restoration due to their nutrient sequestering abilities. However, identifying priority locations for placement of shellfish reefs remains challenging due to limited historical data and modifications to the current state of ecosystems. We quantified spat recruitment across four estuaries in southeast Queensland that being targeted for nutrient abatement projects supported by Unitywater. Here, intertidal shellfish recruitment density and diversity were highest in the Caboolture River, followed by the Pine River. While recruitment was lower in the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers, these estuaries still offer significant opportunity for shellfish restoration due to the significant source populations present throughout the estuarine reaches. By implementing reef structures, these estuaries with significant source populations will likely succeed in recruitment, and the overall objective of increased nutrient abatement.