This introductory guide to setting up oyster nurseries in marina or pontoon environments has been written collaboratively between Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), Marina Developments Limited (MDL), the University of Portsmouth, ZSL (Zoological Society London) and British Marine. The guide provides practical support and instructions for oyster restoration and contains essential information for setting up and maintaining oyster nurseries deployed from marina pontoons or similar floating structures in the marine environment. The information provided comes from experience using oyster nurseries over several years on the south coast of England, as part of the Solent Oyster Restoration Project. The lessons learned by the Solent Oyster Restoration Project has led to a growing network of oyster nurseries around the UK, helping to restore local oyster populations and allow communities to take part in conservation on their doorstep. Funding from the Peoples Postcode Lottery Dream Fund has helped to further expand the reach of oyster nurseries across the country through the Wild Oysters Project. It is hoped that this guide will equip other groups to consider the use of broodstock nurseries to help restore native oysters across Europe.
The Four Horsemen of the UK Fisheries Policy Apocalypse
The UK has the responsibility, and the policy frameworks available, to provide meaningful and lasting protection to all its marine areas. This includes the government proceeding with and concluding its plans to remove bottom trawling from MPAs, safeguarding the biodiversity and habitats that they were designed to protect.
28 September 2025