A drive to restore the nation's native oyster populations has been given a boost of nearly £1.2 million to recreate habitat for the shellfish around the coasts.
The Zoological Society of London and partners Blue Marine Foundation and British Marine, have been awarded £1,180,000 by the People's Postcode Lottery, one of the biggest conservation projects of its kind.
It involves creating and installing nurseries, suspended under marina pontoons, containing adult oysters that will release their young into the environment.
Known as spat, the young oysters will settle across three reef habitats created across estuaries of the River Conwy, in Wales, Firth of Clyde in Scotland and Tyne and Wear coastal water body, in England.
The new habitat will be created by adding a layer of old oyster shells and stones to the seabed to help improve the environment for the spat.
The move aims to reverse the decline of native wild oysters, which have seen population falls of more than 95 per cent because of over-harvesting, habitat loss, pollution and disease.
Healthy oyster beds are hugely productive and help other wildlife thrive, including providing nursery grounds for important seafood species such as seabass, bream and edible crabs.
Senior conservation programme manager Alison Debney said: "Despite their small size, they're capable of making huge changes in our marine environment. Our dream is to grow a self-sustaining population of native oysters in the UK."
Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said: "The Dream Fund exists to bring ambitious and innovative projects to life, and this certainly does that - it is a huge milestone in marine conservation."
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