Second Oyster Nursery Installed at Hartlepool Dock

We are delighted to share news of the new oyster nursery our Stronger Shores partner, Tees Rivers Trust has installed. This nursery is as an important milestone in their mission to help reintroduce the native oyster to the Tees Estuary. The new nursery cages have been placed in a more tidal area to allow the comparison of growth and survival of oysters already installed in the sheltered Hartlepool Marina, with the more exposed tidal area.

Stronger Shores funding from the Environment Agency is part of the package of funding that is supporting native oyster restoration work through its Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.

Native Oysters grown in this nursery will hopefully provide Tees Bay with a number of larvae each year and help in the ongoing efforts to increase populations here. Oysters have an important part to play in making our coasts stronger in the face of flooding, climate change and rising sea levels. This small scale restoration is a step in the right direction towards identifying how much oysters can help mitigate issues in our changing climate.

Stronger Shores is exploring and researching how much impact oysters can have on their environment and their potential as a wider spread solution to issues our coastline is facing.