A native oyster restoration project in the North Sea is showing early signs of success one year after reef cubes were placed off the coast of Whitburn.

Dive surveys found that 99 per cent of the adult oysters attached to the cubes survived their first winter despite harsh waves. Young oysters also made it through, and fish, crabs and shrimps quickly moved into the structures.

The five-year project is led by ZSL with Groundwork NE and Cumbria and partners. It aims to revive a native oyster population that has fallen by over 95 per cent from habitat loss, pollution and over-harvesting.

The one-hectare site holds reef cubes, 100 tonnes of scallop shell and thousands of seeded oysters. The team has now added cages with 1,000 mature and 15,000 juvenile oysters.

The cages should protect the young oysters from predators and help build a multi-generational reef. The team hopes to win more funding to scale the method along the North East coast.

Native oysters filter water and build reefs that shelter marine life. Bringing them back could help the whole coastal ecosystem recover.