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It costs £60 to plant a m2 of seagrass and 7p to buy a hatchery-raised native oyster for restoration
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Seagrass (Zostera marina) is the ocean’s only flowering plant and provides a vital habitat for marine biodiversity as well as being an important carbon sink. In the fight against climate change, restoring seagrass is now a top priority.
Native oysters (Ostrea edulis) clean water, removing pollutants, and their reefs provide essential habitat for spawning fish. Our community-led project to restore these species to Loch Craignish and beyond, are leading the way in marine habitat restoration in the UK. Your contribution makes all this possible.
Loch Craignish has ten small seagrass meadows totalling approximately 5 hectares, and while these seem dense and healthy, they are isolated and fragmented. We are working to enhance these meadows as anecdotal evidence states that seagrass was more widespread in the Loch than it is now.
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​In Loch Craignish and Loch Broom, we know from historical accounts that native oysters were once abundant. Large shells litter the shoreline, yet in both sites only relic populations remain. The aim of our projects is to change this. At Loch Craignish we aim to put down 1 million oysters, and at Loch Broom, 300,000 in the next few years. By doing so we aim to bring back self-sustaining populations which can help restore water quality and biodiversity to both sea-lochs.
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Our project is community-led - we are engaging and empowering locals in the battle for better, more sustainable management of inshore marine habitats. Your contribution makes this all possible.