A team from the Royal Navy has helped give the Solent’s oyster population a boost by releasing a fresh batch of European flat oysters into the River Hamble.
Normally tasked with dealing with unexploded bombs and mines, divers from Bravo Diving Unit 2 carefully hand-placed the oysters on an artificial reef to encourage the species’ return to the area.
“The team of volunteers is learning – and showing – what can be achieved nurturing the creatures in less than ideal conditions,” said Rod Jones, the Royal Navy’s assistant head of Environmental Management.
The release marks the second group of adult oysters raised at a dedicated ‘garden’ in HMS Excellent in Portsmouth Harbour. Volunteers nurtured the creatures before they were transported along the Solent to their new home. Hundreds of oysters were lowered onto the seabed to ensure they reached the ideal conditions to settle and grow.
The reef, established by the marine charity Blue Marine, provides more than just a home for oysters. It plays a wider environmental role, supporting other marine life, improving water quality and offering natural protection against coastal erosion. Divers also conducted a survey of the site to monitor the reef’s progress, an important step in determining the success of the ongoing restoration effort.
The initiative continues a broader conservation effort to restore European flat oysters, which were common in the Solent until the 1980s. Last year, the first batch of 200 adult oysters was released on the same reef.
