26 May 2026
Photo by Markus Freise Scientists at Bangor University and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have completed a landmark restoration project to return native oysters to Conwy Bay, the first scheme of its kind in North Wales and a significant step in the fight to save a species that has lost more than 95% of its […]
10 Dec 2024
Scientists have revealed that the native oyster ecosystem has declined to the extent that it has been declared ‘collapsed’, highlighting the importance of ambitious restoration initiatives across Europe. Using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Framework, a new study has concluded the European native oyster reef ecosystem type is collapsed, with no locations remaining in Europe where […]
24 Oct 2023
Yesterday, UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) officially launched the Isle of Wight’s first oyster regeneration project in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation as its first oysters were placed in baskets beneath UKSA’s pontoons to breed. The project will facilitate the release of millions of larvae into the Solent, while also providing refuge for other marine life […]
14 Jun 2022
A new tool to help increase the native oyster population around the English coast has been launched, the Environment Agency announced on World Ocean Day, 8 June. Native oyster populations have decreased by 95% in England since the mid-1800s, mainly due to over-fishing. The aim is to reverse this decline because they bring multiple benefits, […]
01 Sep 2020
Restoration potential maps have been developed to provide a national ‘high level’ indication of where intertidal and subtidal seagrass, native oysters and saltmarsh could potentially be restored based on some key physical attributes. The maps are accessible on the Coastal Data Explorer portal hosted by the Rivers Trust that is being developed as part of […]
15 Oct 2018
Following a small-scale trial last year, native oysters are being reintroduced to the Dornoch Firth, an area where they were fished to extinction more than a century ago. Dr Bill Sanderson, Associate Professor of Marine Biodiversity at Heriot-Watt, said: “This is the first time anyone has tried to recreate a natural European oyster habitat in […]