While
o e
might
assume
that
lowe i g
huge
white
blocks
of
co c ete
i to
the
sea
was
a
attempt
at
dumpi g
co st uctio
waste
offsho e,
i
B itai ‘s
No th
Sea
it
is
a
co se vatio
effo t.
The
cou t y
is
dumpi g
20
ca efully
desig ed
st uctu es
i to
the
deep
wate s
to
esto e
the
populatio
of
the
Eu opea
ative
oyste ,
Ost ea
edulis,
alo g
E gla d’s
o theast
coast.The
2025
ope atio
combi ed
the
eef
cubes
with
4,000
matu e
oyste s,
mo e
tha
35,000
juve iles
a d
about
44
US
to s
of
epu posed
scallop
shells.
I
the
U ited
Ki gdom,
the
umbe
of
ative
oyste s
has
falle
by
mo e
tha
95%
si ce
the
1800s
a d
the
p oject
is
studyi g
whethe
stu dy
e gi ee i g
ca
give
a
lost
ecosystem
the
foothold
it
eeds
to
ebuild,
as
pe
a
epo t
by
eco ews.
Twe ty
cubes
fo
a
ew
seabed
Each
eef
cube
weighs
about
6.6
US
to s,
mea i g
the
20
st uctu es
togethe
weigh
a ou d
132
to s.
They
have
bee
c eated
f om
Ma i e
C ete,
a
seawate – esista t
mate ial
that
the
p oject
team
desc ibes
as
a
ca bo – eut al
alte ative
to
o di a y
co c ete.They
have
bee
desig ed
with
idges,
textu ed
su faces
a d
la ge
ope i gs
to
give
oyste s
a
place
to
attach
while
c eati g
hidi g
spaces
fo
fish,
lobste s,
spo ges
a d
othe
ma i e
life.
Volu tee s
attached
4,000
adult
oyste s
to
the
cubes
with
specialist
eef
adhesive.
The
team
also
lowe ed
juve ile
oyste s
al eady
g owi g
o
shells,
a d
ecycled
scallop
shells
k ow
as
“clutch”
o to
a
site
about
1.1
miles
offsho e.The
ew
cube
desig s
eflect
lesso s
lea ed
f om
a
ea lie
deployme t
i
2023.
Co se vatio ists
placed
10,000
matu e
oyste s
o
oughly
827
US
to s
of
shell
a d
sto e
off
Whitbu ,
but
Sto m
Babet
a d
othe
seve e
weathe
co ditio s
moved
some
of
that
loose
eef
mate ial
soo
afte wa ds.
Mo ito i g
has
still
fou d
oyste s
su vivi g
a d
establishi g
i
the
a ea.
Eve
so,
the
exposed
No th
Sea
coastli e
is
a
oughe
testi g
g ou d
tha
a
shelte ed
bay
o
estua y,
whe e
cu e ts
a d
waves
a e
less
likely
to
scatte
a
you g
eef.
That
is
why
the
heavy
cubes
ow
act
as
a cho s.As
fo
the
oyste s,
befo e
they
we t
to
sea,
90
volu tee s
clea ed
a d
sc ubbed
them
at
No th
Shields
Fish
Quay.
The
wo k
educed
the
isk
of
u i te tio ally
movi g
othe
o ga isms
i to
the
esto atio
site.
Nea ly
100
mo e
volu tee s
the
helped
attach
oyste s
to
the
eef
cubes.
A
su vey
vessel
ca ied
the
st uctu es,
juve iles,
a d
shell
mate ial
offsho e
befo e
ca efully
lowe i g
eve ythi g
o to
the
seabed.
A
special
place
fo
the
oyste s
Fish,
c abs,
sh imp,
a d
ma y
small
i ve teb ates
ca
use
its
gaps
fo
food
a d
shelte ,
which
is
why
esto i g
oyste s
is
about
much
mo e
tha
esto i g
o e
shellfish
species.
You g
oyste s
begi
life
as
ti y
la vae
movi g
th ough
the
wate .
Whe
they
a e
eady
to
settle,
they
eed
a
fi m
su face,
ofte
a
olde
oyste
shell,
whe e
they
ca
attach
a d
co ti ue
g owi g.But
with
a
va ished
eef,
this
si gle
equi eme t
becomes
a
majo
obstacle.
A
flat
o
shifti g
seabed
offe s
fewe
safe
places
to
settle,
while
a
laye
of
shells
ca
wo k
like
the
fou datio
of
a
c owded
u de wate
eighbou hood.
As
ge e atio s
g ow
o
top
of
ea lie
shells,
the
eef
becomes
th ee-dime sio al.
Fish,
c abs,
sh imp,
a d
ma y
small
i ve teb ates
ca
use
its
gaps
fo
food
a d
shelte ,
which
is
why
esto i g
oyste s
is
about
much
mo e
tha
esto i g
o e
shellfish
species.
95%
collapse
cha ges
Eu opea
seas
O e
of
the
majo
facto s
that
played
a
big
ole
i
the
loss
of
ative
oyste s
was
ove ha vesti g
them
faste
tha
they
could
ecove .
The
pollutio ,
disease
a d
habitat
dest uctio
added
mo e
p essu e
to
it.
Native
eefs
disappea ed
f om
this
pa t
of
o theast
E gla d
mo e
tha
a
ce tu y
ago,
a d
oyste s
a e
ow
locally
exti ct
o
fu ctio ally
abse t
ac oss
much
of
thei
fo me
a ge.A
wide
assessme t
led
by
ZSL
a d
the
U ive sity
of
Edi bu gh
fou d
that
Eu ope’s
ative
oyste
eef
ecosystem
met
the
c ite ia
fo
bei g
classified
as
“collapsed.”
Histo ical
evide ce
i dicated
that
these
eefs
o ce
cove ed
mo e
tha
4.2
millio
ac es
ac oss
Eu ope,
c eati g
complex
habitats
that
looked
ve y
diffe e t
f om
today’s
mostly
flat
seabeds.
Why
ative
oyste s
a e
impo ta t
Native
oyste s
a e
filte
feede s,
mea i g
they
d aw
i
seawate
a d
emove
suspe ded
mate ial
as
they
feed.
As
pe
the
Zoological
Society
of
Lo do ,
o e
adult
ca
filte
a ou d
53
gallo s
i
a
day,
although
the
total
effect
depe ds
o
oyste
umbe s
a d
local
co ditio s.
This
filt atio
helps
imp ove
wate
cla ity
a d
cycle
ut ie ts.While
it
is
ot
a
substitute
fo
co t olli g
sewage,
pollutio
o
u off,
a
healthy
eef
ca
become
pa t
of
the
sea’s
atu al
mai te a ce
system.
“They
may
be
small,
but
oyste s
ca
play
a
impo ta t
ole
i
keepi g
ou
seas
clea
a d
healthy,”
said
Celi e
Gamble,
the
Wild
Oyste s
P oject
ma age ,
as
pe
eco ews.Now,
the
p oject
awaits
success
which
would
mea
su vival,
ep oductio ,
ew
juve ile
settleme t
a d
a
g adual
etu
of
a
self-sustai i g
eef
that
suppo ts
a
wide
commu ity
of
ma i e
species.
Resea che s
will
also
be
watchi g
whethe
the
st uctu es
att act
fish
a d
i ve teb ates,
imp ove
habitat
complexity,
a d
emai
stable
th ough
wi te
sto ms.
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