Supporting our Seas

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LRG supported the restoration of approx. 300 sq m of native oysters in the Solent in 2024

LRG has chosen to support native oyster restoration in the Solent (the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England) in partnership with GreenTheUK to support the vital work of Blue Marine Foundation.

Native oysters are classified as a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and restoration is a high priority at a national, European and global level. An estimated 85 percent of oyster beds and oyster reef habitats have been lost worldwide, making them among the most imperiled marine habitats. As ecosystem engineers, oysters provide a range of benefits to the environment and local communities:

  • They improve water quality: a single oyster can filter up to 200 litres of water every day;
  • They provide habitat to hundreds of other species: fish and marine life;
  • They are a natural defence to coastal erosion;
  • They were a valuable food source (with evidence dating back to the Roman Times in the UK), yet this benefit has been lost due to their more recent dwindling numbers in the Solent.

LRG has helped support the restoration of oyster reefs in areas protected from fishing to help re-establish wild populations. This work is in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, where we have deployed adult oysters in the Solent on to newly formed reefs to significantly scale the restoration work. The aim of the project is to actively restore 4 hectares (40,000 square meters) of oysters.

Project Overview

The Solent Oyster Restoration Project is part of a wider project called the Solent Seascape Project which aims to reconnect the Solent into a functioning seascape by improving the condition, extent, and connectivity of key marine and coastal habitats, using protection and restoration initiatives.

The Solent Seascape Project is the first of its kind in the UK to initiate seascape recovery on a grand scale. Our long-term vision is to protect and restore at least 30 per cent of the Solent’s seascape, tipping the balance from a degraded state to a naturally expanding, connected and productive ecosystem. By restoring and connecting the Solent’s seascape, we will provide nature-based solutions to many of the issues currently affecting it and the people who depend on it, as well as helping to fight the impacts of climate change.

LRG's Impact

Aided by LRG, the Solent Oyster Restoration Project has made good progress along various aspects of oyster restoration during the last six months. The team has now actively restored approximately 2,500 square meters of oyster reef - close to 300 square metres of which is thanks to LRG. In the River Hamble, we deployed 20,000 native oysters, and Blue Marine and the University of Portsmouth retrieved (what appears to be) native oyster spat for the first time in Langstone Harbour since the project began. If oyster spat are present in the River Hamble, it will mean that the re-introduced oysters have started breeding which is crucial to the future of the reef. If the oysters continue to reproduce, the reef will become fully self-sustaining whilst continuing to grow.

Oyster Restoration 20,074 oysters have been deployed in River Hamble since 2023, restoring 0.25ha. Credit: Luke Helmer
Oyster Restoration Our project team collecting oysters for restoration. Credit: Solent Seascape Project

Current oyster reefs in the Solent

Following advice from the Oyster Technical Working Group (TWG) on 1 November 2023, we are pausing the extension of the reef in Langstone Harbour. Monitoring has revealed an increase in sedimentation and a dramatic decrease in live oysters/cultch at the site during routine sampling in summer 2023. The TWG advised conducting hydrodynamic modelling to understand where oysters and cultch may move during high tidal flows, and to continue monitoring the site as well as understanding what happens at the newest reef in the River Hamble.

Recent monitoring work at the River Hamble reef has shown promising preliminary results with live oysters on cultch present a year after deployment. The River Hamble Harbour Authority have even heard the reef using hydrophones! The marine license for this site allows for significant extension of the reef area -potentially doubling the area to 0.5ha which we will be exploring following full monitoring results.

Synergizing with Local Nature Recovery Strategies

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are a new mandatory system of strategies under the Environment Act 2021 that apply to certain geographical areas, ensuring that opportunities to recover nature are joined up. To ensure longevity of the Solent Oyster Restoration Project, its Seascape Recovery Plan will form a key part of the marine and coastal chapter within the LNRS. Particularly, its aim is to reduce and remove pressures currently damaging habitats and species. The Seascape Recovery Plan will also play a key role in identifying priority areas for stakeholders who wish to focus their efforts on (both active and passive) restoration, which will contribute to nature recovery in the Solent.

The Solent Oyster Restoration Project has been covered in the media by the BBC and Charity Today:

LRG's support is key to recreating such an important habitat in the UK. The oysters they’ve sponsored are the foundation of a reef that provides habitat to numerous other significant and rare species. They also have the capacity to filter enough seawater every day to fill dozens of olympic sized swimming pools. As the oysters supported by LRG grow and reproduce, their positive impact will multiply with them.

UN's Sustainable Development Goals

As a GreenTheUK partner, you support projects that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

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Project Partner:

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Species this project aims to support

Native Oyster: Ostrea Edulis

Native Oyster

These molluscs live on the seabed in estuaries and shallow coastal waters where there is a lot of mud and rock. Also known as the European flat oysters, they have been fished from UK waters since Roman times when they first became a popular delicacy. The Romans even used to transport them back to Italy, where they got their reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Undulate Ray: Raja Undulata

Undulate Ray

Undulate rays like soft seabeds so that they can burrow underneath the sand or mud. This ray has an almost pointed head, leading to a rounded body and straight tail, and is named after the distinctive wavy pattern on its back. Undulate rays are classed as an endangered species because of overfishing.

Starry Smooth-hound: Mustelus Asterias

Starry Smooth-hound

This shallow-water species of shark has white dots scattered around its fin and tail. It feeds on small fish, crabs, prawns and lobsters and can be found in the UK’s coastal waters as well as in the River Thames. The starry smooth-hound has two dorsal fins; the front fin is slightly larger than the one at the back.

Spiny Seahorse: Hippocampus Guttulatus

Spiny Seahorse

Also known as the long-snouted seahorse, this creature can be found in shallow waters along the south coast of England and Wales. Seahorses deal with pregnancy in a different way from every other species, because the males give birth! Female seahorses transfer their eggs to males who then self-fertilise them, carry and birth their live young.

European Eel: Anguilla Anguilla

European Eel

Once common, the European eel is now a critically endangered species. The number of European eels is believed to have dropped by over 90 percent in recent years, and the race is on to save this remarkable creature from extinction. They are nocturnal and can live for up to 85 years, but nobody has ever witnessed an entire European eel life cycle.

Sea Bass: Serranidae

Sea Bass

There are around 475 species of sea bass, most of which favour warm, shallow waters. They are carnivorous, existing on a diet of smaller fish, molluscs, crustaceans and invertebrates. Sea basses come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny ones measuring a few centimetres, to two-metre-long whoppers!

Thresher Shark: Alopius Vulpinus

Thresher Shark

The thresher shark spends most of its time in deep water far out to sea, but occasionally passes by the UK’s coast in the summer months. It can control its body temperature very effectively, keeping it higher than the cold water around it. The thresher shark uses its long tail to round up its prey, before thrashing, killing, and eating it.

King Scallop: Pecten Maximus

King Scallop

Scallops have between 50 and 100 eyes, allowing them to detect changes in light. They can live for over 20 years and develop growth rings, just like trees, enabling us to age them. Scallops can open and close their shells, producing jets which power them through the water, allowing them to effectively swim short distances from predators.

Cockle: Cerastoderma Edule

Cockle

Cockles are found all around the UK’s coastline, on muddy, sandy seashores and in estuaries. Cockleshells can close completely so that there is no gap around the edge. Cockles aren’t just a popular seaside snack for humans; they also make up an important part of many shorebirds’ diets.

Cuttlefish: Sepia Officinalis

Cuttlefish

This remarkable creature can change texture and colour either to attract a mate or to help them blend into the background and fool predators. Like its squid and octopus relatives, the cuttlefish is a cephalopod with eight sucker-covered arms and two tentacles. Cuttlefish live in deep water, then move into more shallow areas to mate, and tend to die after they have bred.

Sand Eel: Ammodytes Tobianus

Sand Eel

Sand eels make up a crucial part of the diet of many species of marine life and seabirds in particular. As the name suggests, they prefer living in sandy areas, and burrow down into the sand to escape predators. Their eggs are tacky so that they can stick to the seabed, before hatching a few weeks later.

Herring: Clupeidae

Herring

There are around 200 species of herring, but only three of them are generally caught for food. Herring travel together in large schools, feeding on plankton at night. Herring is a very oily fish that is rich in nutrients, making it a popular snack in many parts of the world, notably Scandinavia.

Common Seal: Phoca Vitulina

Common Seal

The harbour or common seal is both smaller than the grey seal and less prevalent in UK waters. This seal’s blood contains much more haemoglobin than ours, allowing it to stay underwater for around 10 minutes at a time when diving after prey. Seal pups can swim and dive when they are just a few hours old.

European Eel: Anguilla Anguilla

European Eel

Once common, the European eel is now a critically endangered species.The number of European eels is believed to have dropped by over 90 per cent in recent years, and the race is on to save this remarkable creature from extinction.

Grey Seal: Halichoerus Grypus

Grey Seal

Just under half of the grey seals in the world can be found in British coastal waters. Pups are quite small at birth but put on weight quickly as they develop blubber to help them deal with the cold. Their Latin name means “hook-nosed sea pig”.

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