Blue Marine Foundation   The UK has the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world. With a government commitment to further expand, opportunities for co-location with conservation and restoration initiatives are being increasingly explored. Globally, over 85% of oyster beds have been lost, making them among the most imperilled marine habitats in the world. In the UK, the native oyster, or European flat oyster, has declined by 95% since the mid-1800s. Oyster restoration is a high priority at the national and European level with several pilot projects underway in Europe to investigate the potential for offshore wind farms to aid population recovery. The use of broodstock sites to increase larval supply is considered an effective strategy to restore self-sustaining populations. Restoration projects including the Solent Oyster Restoration Project led by Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) have successfully used marinas as broodstock sites, pumping billions of larvae into the Solent. Results from a pilot in The Netherlands identified larvae in oysters housed within a North Sea wind farm and the surrounding water, showing oysters can grow and reproduce in these offshore environments. This report provides a summary of work undertaken by BLUE and renewable energy company Ørsted, in collaboration with the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative (ENORI) and includes results from a feasibility study by Resilient Coasts. Click here to read more