Nature Heroes - Seawilding

https://nnr.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity/scottish-biodiversity-strategy-and-cop15/scotlands-biodiversity-strategy-2022-2045/nature-heroes/nature-heroes-seawilding
Seawilding is the UK's first community-led native oyster and seagrass restoration project. Its aim is to restore lost biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, and to create green jobs.

Seagrass meadows are biodiversity hotspots and an important carbon sink. The project has to-date sown 300,000 seagrass seeds at Loch Craignish in Argyll. A range of scientific experiments exploring different propagation and planting methods are being carried out.

Additionally, Seawilding is aiming to restore 1 million native oysters to Loch Craignish over a five-year period. These once-abundant eco-system engineers filter and clean water and supply breeding and nursery grounds for fish – making their restoration key to a healthy ecosystem.

Group of adults with wetsuits and snorkles entering the loch
Copyright Seawilding

Seawilding has the support of over 400 community members and has sparked interest in the creation of new seagrass meadows and oyster beds around Scotland, including Restoration Forth.

Seawilding won two prestigious Nature of Scotland Awards in late 2022 for best projects in Coast and Waters and Innovation.

Seawilding - Tiles
Seawilding - Project Highlights
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A series of 6 graphical tiles which highlight best projects in Coast and Waters and innovation.

  1. 300,000 seagrass seeds sown in Loch Craignish
  2. 350,000 oysters restored to the seabed by the end of 2023
  3. 10,000 seagrass plants with rhizomes planted in the Loch, a first in the UK
  4. The project has generated seven jobs
  5. Over fifty species of fish have been recorded in one seagrass meadow
  6. Seawilding trains other community groups and wildlife organisations in marine habitat restoration methodologies

Click here for a larger version of the graphical tiles

Seawilding enjoys the support of many organisations including Rebel Restoration, National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Patagonia, William Grant Foundation, NatureScot and The Crown Estate.

Introduction to Seawilding
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Duration
06:04

An introduction to the community led marine habitat restoration charity seawilding. Including their work doing native oyster restoration and seagrass planting. 

Find out more

Seawilding - Community-led Marine Habitat Restoration

Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund (NRF)

Scotland's Biodiversity Strategy and the consultation

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