For generations, native oysters were part of life around the Solent, helping shape its coastal ecology as well as its maritime heritage. But their numbers have fallen dramatically, with populations declining by around 96 per cent over the past century. Now, one of Britain’s biggest marine restoration efforts is trying to bring them back. In May 2026, around 260 volunteers gathered at the University of Portsmouth to clean and prepare 20,000 native oysters before they were moved to a newly built reef in Chichester Harbour. The project marks a major step towards rebuilding one of the Solent’s most threatened marine habitats.
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