In January Antac Support Services Environmental Committee agreed to sponsor approx. 150 sq m of native oysters in the Solent. This arrangement was in partnership with GreenTheUK and Blue Marine Foundation, as part of our Environmental Strategy. Stephen Burton, Managing Director “restoring natural habitats is essential, companies need to support these initiatives to make a positive impact”.
Native oysters are classified as a priority species in the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan and restoration is a high priority at the national level. An estimated 85 percent of oyster beds and oyster reef habitats have been lost worldwide, making them among the most imperilled marine habitats. As ecosystem engineers, oysters provide a range of benefits to the environment and local communities:
- They improve water quality: a single oyster can filter 200 litres of water every day.
- They provide habitat to thousands of other species: fish and marine life.
- They are a natural defence to coastal erosion.
On Friday 12th April, two of Antac’s Environmental Ambassadors joined the volunteers to help tag and measure 1,000 oysters. The oysters from Falmouth and Pembroke had to go through strict biosecurity measures before they could be released in the River Hamble as part of the Solent Oyster Restoration Project.
Oyster restoration begun in the Solent, marking the start of a five-year Solent Seascape Project which plans to restore marine habitats across the region by improving the condition, extent, and connectivity of key marine and coastal habitats, using protection and restoration initiatives.
We look forward to following the development of the Solent Seascape project. The oysters will monitored annually to measure growth and how the reefs are developing.
