Oysters and the Firth of Forth - Part 5 (Progress Report)

Recap

Last year, we were involved in restoring oysters back into the Firth of Forth (hint: we provided the oysters!). You can read all about those efforts in our previous journal logs. For those unaware, and as covered previously, the oyster beds in the Firth of Forth historically covered an extensive area of approximately 166 km², making them arguably the largest European Flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) beds in the world. By the start of the 20th century they were extinct—a true environmental tragedy. This is where the WWF #RestorationForth project comes in; it aims to reverse this situation.

Progress Update

Recently, the project team has been surveying the oysters on-site, and the news is good. The oysters are happy in their new home and are thriving, with an 85% survival rate. This is a great result because some natural wastage is always to be expected when moving shellfish into wild systems.

Biosecurity Stress Factors: These oysters have been through a very thorough biosecurity process to prepare them for deployment. It is an unfortunate fact that this rigorous screening and cleaning process is highly stressful for the animals, which typically would be expected to lead to some initial mortalities. Despite this, the high survival rate is incredibly encouraging.

We look forward to being able to share further updates on this project as they become available. In the meantime, there is excellent coverage available online providing broader background information and imagery on the collaborative work taking place to restore these historic beds.