Native North-East oysters introduced at Hartlepool Marina in project to improve Tees Estuary biodiversity

Henry Short (project officer) and volunteer Caitlin Elwin, introduce oysters into Hartlepool marina. Picture by FRANK REID

A new safe haven for oysters has been created in Hartlepool Marina in a project to improve the area’s marine biodiversity.

Hundreds of the shellfish were placed in the marina by the Tees Rivers Trust thanks to help from volunteers.

The native oyster nursery is part of an ambitious scheme by the trust to enrich the Tees estuary’ ecosystem thanks to a £1 million Defra award.

It is the first time in decades that the species is being reintroduced to North East waters.

Volunteers scrubbing oysters before they are introduced into the marina. Picture by FRANK REID

Henry Short, Tees Rivers Trust project officer, said: “This is the first step in trying to reintroduce oysters into the Tees estuary.

"There used to be oyster reefs all the way up the North East coast in the 1800s.

"In the 1900s, over-fishing and water pollution killed them off. There hasn’t really been a large amount of oysters in the North East since the mid 1900s.”

Workers and volunteers for the Tees Rivers Trust spent a morning washing and installing around 600 oysters that came from Scottish waters in Jackson Dock at the marina.

The floating Hartlepool movie star set for emergency repairs

A single oyster can filter between 150 and 200 litres of water a day.

Project workers will check regularly on their progress.

Henry added: “Every year hopefully they will reproduce. If we get enough they will stick together and make like a big 3-D structure which is really good for juvenile fish and also improve the biodiversity in all areas.”

The river trust thanked Hartlepool Marina for their support with the project.

A facility to collect tiny oyster larvae called spat and research seagrass seed collection is also being developed in Hartlepool Dock with PD Ports.