Restoration project ‘over the moon’ to double target of oysters in Forth

An award-winning project is celebrating doubling its original target by recently introducing 14,080 more European Flat Oysters into the Firth of Forth, bringing the total to 60,000.

Restoration Forth aims to bring back oyster beds to the waterway, which were once the size of Edinburgh before they were wiped out by over-fishing and pollution.

Over the past four years, hundreds of volunteers have helped staff clean and deploy the oysters and monitoring shows they are thriving in their new home.

Strict biosecurity rules mean they must be cleaned before moving somewhere new to avoid spreading any disease or introduced species.

Near the end of 2025, monitoring by Heriot-Watt’s scientific dive team showed a high average survival rate of around 88% for the oysters deployed from boats.

Dr Naomi Kennon from Heriot-Watt’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society said: “I’m over the moon to have reached the incredible milestone of 60,000 oysters now back in the Firth of Forth.

“After so many hundreds of hours scrubbing and cleaning them over recent years, it was pretty emotional.

“We are hopeful that they will thrive and grow, as those already deployed earlier in the project have been doing.

“Oysters are incredible underwater engineers: they filter water, store carbon and enhance biodiversity by providing shelter for countless marine species.

“We know we’re a long way off from the millions of oysters that once thrived here, but with promising survival rates we are showing the value of restoration work.”

Alice Caldwell, a volunteer with Restoration Forth said: “I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in this amazing project.

“I’ve learned so much about the research behind it and have really enjoyed preparing the oysters for their new home in the Forth.

“The whole experience has filled me with a sense of optimism for the future of this vital species and for our precious marine environment.”

Heriot-Watt is a delivery partner for Restoration Forth alongside Balanced Horizon, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Scottish Seabird Centre, the Ecology Centre 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.