By Isle of Wight Observer
By A & S Whitewood
Conservation charity, the Blue Marine Foundation, launched the Solent Seascape Project in January, aiming to regenerate the Solent’s native oyster population over the next five years.
On Wednesday, the first batch of 1,000 juvenile oysters, sourced from the West Coast of Scotland, were introduced to their new home at UKSA in Cowes, under their pontoons. Project manager, Eric Scott-Harris, was assisted by UKSA students and pupils from local primary school, Lanesend.
Prior to introducing the young oysters, Eric explained they had all been screened so as not to introduce diseases. Fifty have special markings, enabling UKSA students to undertake regular surveillance of the sample batch. There are no immediate plans to harvest oysters as they must first become established in their new homes. As well as improving water quality, native oysters are designated as ‘ecosystem engineers’, acting as a natural defence to coastal erosion.
Oysters start to reproduce when they are around two years old, with a single oyster producing up to 100 million eggs each year.
With common predators including crabs, seabirds, starfish and humans, it is no wonder so many young are produced. After being fertilised in the water, they develop into larvae, eventually finding sites to settle, known as oyster beds or reefs.
Native oysters inhabit sub-tidal areas, while the interloper Pacific Oyster, unwisely introduced about a century ago, is found in the intertidal zone and can withstand dry conditions. Typically, native oysters live from 10 to 12 years, although in ideal situations they can live up to 30.
Historically, the Solent boasted the largest oyster fishery area in Europe, with some 50 million harvested every year. They were certainly on Isle of Wight menus in Roman times; dozens of oyster shells have been found at both Newport and Brading Roman villas, and they were also a cheap food in the Victorian era.
Isle of Wight Observer