Oysters transferred from South Wales to seed in the new habitat at Swanwick Bend of the River Hamble

As part of the Solent Seascape Project, nearly 15,000 oysters were introduced to a newly created oyster bed in the Swanwick bend of the River Hamble, Hampshire. This project aims to restore the native oyster population in the Solent, which was once Europe’s largest oyster fishery but has seen dramatic declines in recent decades due to pollution, invasive species, disease, and overfishing.

The restoration effort involves laying a mix of shingle and cockleshells, known as “cultch,” on a 2,500 square meter section of the riverbed to create a suitable environment for the oysters to seed. The project is a key part of a multimillion-pound initiative designed to rejuvenate the region’s oyster population, with the goal of seeding 30,000 oysters by the project’s conclusion.

The oysters will not only improve water quality by filtering large amounts of water but also help stabilize sediment and act as a natural sea defense. Additionally, oysters attract a variety of marine species, boosting local biodiversity. The project is being monitored in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth to assess growth rates and survival outcomes, with hopes to restore the Solent oyster fishery in the long term.