Edinburgh charity hops onboard to help restore Firth of Forth ecosystem
A further 10,000 oysters have been reintroduced into the Firth of Forth thanks to the help of an Edinburgh charity.
It means that in total, 40,000 European flat oysters have now entered the water over the past four years as part of the award-winning marine conservation project, Restoration Forth, under the expert supervision of academics from Heriot-Watt University.
The volunteer groups include the Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council (ELREC) who hand scrubbed thousands of oysters in preparation for their return.
The oysters we've introduced are thriving in their new habitat in the Firth of Forth, with encouraging success rates.
Research assistant Naomi Kennon from the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University, helped to coordinate the volunteers. She said: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to work alongside the local community in furthering oyster restoration in Scotland.
"The oysters we've introduced are thriving in their new habitat in the Firth of Forth, with encouraging success rates. As they grow and we increase the numbers, they’ll play a vital role in enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality, bringing long-term benefits to the very communities whose hard work made this possible.”
A few of the volunteers had the opportunity to board a boat alongside members of the Restoration Forth team as the oysters were placed into the open water.
Anna Inman, from project partner Marine Conservation Society said: “It was so humbling to have members of the ELREC community onboard with us when we returned more oysters to the Firth of Forth. The group has played a huge role in helping us clean thousands of the oysters, readying them for their new home. Scrubbing oysters isn’t the most glamorous of jobs, and so it was great that some got the opportunity to come on the boat and help with the final stage of the oysters’ journey.”
Cadence Yu, Community Link Officer (Communities’ Reduce Reuse & Recycle Project) from ELREC said: ''We’ve been involved in the Restoration Forth Project since May 2024, and it’s been such a fulfilling experience. Sending the oysters back to their natural home felt like a perfect way to wrap things up. We’re all really pleased and thankful to have been part of it.
“Being involved helped our group break down cultural and language barriers, contribute to marine conservation, and get a better understanding of the native species. We really hope the native oyster population keeps thriving — and that there’ll be continued funding to keep this passionate community project going strong.''
The project has seen huge success with an 85% survival rate this winter of the oysters that have been returned so far.
The aim of Restoration Forth, a partnership with communities and organisations, is to restore up to four hectares of seagrass meadows and European flat oyster beds in the Firth of Forth.
Partners delivering Restoration Forth include Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, and The Heart of Newhaven Community and WWF.
The current phase of Restoration Forth is made possible by funding from Sky and the Cinven Foundation; the project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.