Oysters, seagrass and kelp: nature’s coastal climate change solutions get a £6.9m boost

SOUTH Tyneside Council (STC) has secured £6.9m in funding for an innovative regional seabed project, which is shifting the frontline of the marine battle against climate change out to our coastal waters.

The project, called Stronger Shores, is going underwater to help make UK coastlines more resistant to flooding, erosion and climate change impacts.

It’s doing so by restoring and strengthening natural habitats which can help stop flooding and coastal erosion, often caused by climate change and rising sea levels.

Marine habitats such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests and oyster reefs can act as natural buffers that protect coastlines

– Coun Ernest Gibson

The general idea is to help restore the ocean’s health and turn the near-coastal seabed into a rich, natural ‘buffer zone’ which can absorb and diffuse the eroding power of waves and storms, and simultaneously create a richer and cleaner environment for fish and shellfish.

Coun Ernest Gibson, STC’s lead member for Transport and Neighbourhoods and a former Mayor of South Tyneside, explained: “Traditional man-made coastal protection solutions are often expensive to install, maintain and replace.

“Sand dunes and saltmarshes offer protection, but are themselves threatened by rising sea levels and development pressures.

“However, marine habitats such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests and oyster reefs can act as natural buffers that protect coastlines, enhance community benefits and reduce maintenance costs for existing coastal protection.

“By investing in protecting these seabed habitats now, we hope to see ongoing benefits for people and planet.”

Coun Gibson, who is also chair of the Local Government Association Coastal Group, added: “Our coastline is one of our greatest treasures but, over the years, important natural habitats have been lost. Many areas are threatened by flooding, erosion and storms, and climate change will only make this worse.

“If we do nothing, habitats, man-made coastal defences and communities could all suffer. That’s why we’re proud to have secured this funding for Stronger Shores, which will allow us to turn to the hidden habitats below the waves for an affordable, long-term solution.”

The initiative’s game-changing potential means the North East is trailblazing a path for the UK to be a world-leader in establishing proven, affordable and long-term natural solutions to the climate crisis.

Through Stronger Shores, experts and scientists from this region, working with others from across the country, will aim to:

• improve water quality
  
• reduce erosion and structural damage and help to stabilise shorelines
  
• reduce wave impacts
  
• create rich wildlife
  
• protect against pollution
  
• improve fisheries
  
• protect against the effects of climate change
  
• extend the lifespan of man-made coastal defences

Stronger Shores is funded by Defra (the government Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as part of the £150million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme, managed by the Environment Agency.

The project is supported by: Newcastle University, University of Plymouth, Tees Rivers Trust, The North Sea Wildlife Trusts, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Groundwork North East & Cumbria (GWNEC).

Celine Gamble, restoration project manager at the ZSL, said: “This Stronger Shores funding will help us and Groundwork North East and Cumbria build on our previous work on the Wild Oyster Project.

“Even more exciting is the potential to transform how the UK government approaches coastal protection. Proving the success of affordable, long-term solutions to coastal threats – such as native oyster reefs – could justify policy change and unlock future funding for marine habitat restoration.”

Clare Fitzsimmons, Professor of Marine Ecosystems and Governance at Newcastle University, added: “We will pilot the restoration of key habitats, testing new techniques to support recovery, while making sure our innovative measurement and monitoring methods can identify the most effective solutions. ”

Mark Dinning, head of conservation for Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “Expertise from the North Sea Wildlife Trusts will allow the development of important seagrass restoration work along the North East England coast, by testing innovative methodologies for seed planting and monitoring.

“This is a practical, value-for-money approach that can save money, assets and infrastructure later if we can create a proven framework for others follow – not just in the Nort East but across the UK and beyond.”

Stronger Shores is expected to launch in Spring 2023 and there will be lots of opportunities for the public to get involved through volunteering, citizen science and more.

In the meantime, South Tyneside Council is keen to hear people’s views on the project, by emailing strongershores@southtyneside.gov.uk