AssetID: 55162476
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Oyster 'cubes' deployed to save near-extinct native species off the UK's north east coast
Caption: In a world-first initiative, marine conservationists have launched a bold effort to restore the nearly extinct native oyster population to the UK’s waters. The groundbreaking project, led by ZSL and Groundwork North East and Cumbria, has seen the deployment of 20 specialised oyster reef cubes off the North East coast of England. These concrete-like structures, designed to house 4,000 European native oysters, are part of a larger scheme to rejuvenate marine life and bolster coastal resilience. The oyster reef cubes, which are the first of their kind in the UK, aim to revive the region’s native oyster reefs, helping to improve water quality, increase biodiversity, and support fish nursery habitats. The cubes, weighing in at six tonnes each, are made of Marine Crete®, a seawater-resistant, carbon-neutral alternative to concrete, and are specially textured to mimic natural marine surfaces, providing shelter to a variety of other species. Portholes in the cubes will also encourage the growth of marine life such as lobsters and fish by offering hiding spaces. Alongside the reef cubes, over 35,000 juvenile oysters (spat) were deployed, along with 40 tonnes of re-purposed scallop shells, which will form a bed for the growing oyster reef, known as cultch. This combination of efforts aims to restore a thriving native oyster reef that will improve coastal water quality by filtering up to 200 litres of water per oyster every day—equivalent to the volume of a bath. Once abundant in the region, native oyster reefs vanished over a century ago due to a combination of habitat loss, over-harvesting, pollution, and disease. Since the 1800s, the UK’s native oyster population has plummeted by over 95%. A recent assessment by ZSL and the University of Edinburgh reveals that this decline extends across Europe, with these once-thriving ecosystems now in danger of disappearing entirely. This ambitious project is part of *The Wild Oysters Project: Tyne and Wear*, a five-year restoration initiative funded by the Stronger Shores Partnership and led by South Tyneside Council. It is also supported by DEFRA, which is funding the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes (FCIP) to improve flood and coastal resilience. In preparation for the deployment, local volunteers played a crucial role in cleaning and scrubbing the oysters at North Shields Fish Quay to ensure no invasive species were introduced. A further 100 volunteers helped to carefully attach the oysters to the reef cubes using specialist reef glue. The deployment of the oysters and cultch was then transported by a survey vessel to a carefully chosen site, located 1.8km off the coast. This latest deployment follows a previous release in October 2023, when 10,000 mature native oysters were released off the coast of Whitburn, along with 750 tonnes of cultch. However, an unprecedented series of storms, including Storm Babet, which struck just weeks after the deployment, caused some of the oysters and cultch to disperse. In light of this, the new reef cubes have been specially selected to help make the oysters more resilient to storms and tidal surges as they become established on the seabed. Celine Gamble, ZSL’s Wild Oysters Project Manager, commented: “They may be small, but oysters can play an important role in keeping our seas clean and healthy. As we work to restore native oysters in the North Sea, we are using novel techniques to help us contend with the challenges of restoring species in a challenging environment. The oyster reef cubes have been selected, to help provide a stable environment for the oysters during storms, and we hope that over time they’ll also attract fish, sponges and crustaceans to the reefs as we work to restore this lost ecosystem.” Dr. Ashleigh Tinlin-Mackenzie, Marine Ecology Technical Lead for Tyne & Wear at Groundwork NE & Cumbria, highlighted the challenges faced in deploying the cubes and oysters: “Getting the oyster reef cubes and cultch transported, cleaning and attaching the oysters, and deploying them onto the seabed was a huge logistical challenge, and a real team effort. Volunteers worked alongside our small team of marine conservationists to make it happen. This project is breaking new ground. We’ve had to stay agile, learning, adapting, and trialling new techniques to give native oysters the best chance of returning to our coastline.” Benjamin Coppin, Marine Engagement and Restoration Officer at Groundwork NE & Cumbria, added: “The assistance of local volunteers has been crucial in helping us reach this milestone. More than 90 volunteers from around Tyne & Wear helped clean and scrub the oysters, while nearly 100 volunteers assisted in attaching the oysters to the reef cubes. Everything that the project has achieved would not have been possible without volunteers’ enthusiasm and energy.”
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