05 Oct 2024

Oysters once formed extensive reefs along much of Europe’s coastline – but these complex ecosystems were destroyed over a century ago, with the advent of steam ships with powerful dredges accelerating their disappearance through overharvesting,  new research shows. Researchers found past evidence of reefs almost everywhere, from Norway to the Mediterranean, covering at least 1.7 million […]

21 May 2024

A new report sheds light on the future impacts of climate change on marine species across the United Kingdom. Focussing on 21 marine species listed as ‘threatened’ or ‘declining’, ranging from sharks and rays to seahorses and oysters, predictive models were used to forecast the impacts of climate change on ‘habitat suitability’. Factors such as […]

18 Jul 2023

Following the ReMeMaRe (Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef) 2023 conference which took place in Scarborough last week, Dr Rob Bradburne, the Environment Agency Chief Scientist, sets out his views and vision for marine restoration. Taking a holistic approach to coastal habitat restoration Fresh approaches Restoring saltmarshes, seagrass meadows and native oyster beds is of importance […]

13 Jun 2023

Roger Proudfoot of the Environment Agency answers questions on the organisation’s priorities for restoration and the links to government policy. He is the convener of ReMeMaRe 2023, the UK’s leading coastal and estuarine restoration conference, which is taking place on 11 & 12 July in Scarborough. Can you introduce yourself and your role Roger Proudfoot, […]

07 Feb 2023

The first seeds are due to be planted in waters off the Scottish capital as part of a major restoration project that aims to improve biodiversity in the Firth of Forth. Conservationists and volunteers have collected more than 40,000 seagrass seeds from around Orkney and prepared them for planting, with sowing work due to start […]