Ocean-dwelling experts working in the North Sea have a fascinating project involving oysters — and you can hold the hot sauce.
That's because a team from the Zoological Society of London and nature charity Groundwork is working to save the vital sea creatures, not serve them. And they are doing so with 20 6.6-ton "concrete-like" cubes that each have 4,000 oysters affixed to them, protecting the mollusks from coastal surges and storms that can disperse the decimated creatures, according to a news release.
Each oyster can filter around 53 gallons of water daily, making them a critical part of the ecosystem.
"They may be small, but oysters can play an important role in keeping our seas clean and healthy," Celine Gamble, ZSL's wild oysters project manager, said.
Changing sea conditions — the North Sea is overheating with the rest of the world's oceans — are harming oyster populations, according to the experts. Severe storms that disturb their habitat are more likely to happen because of our planet's warming, which is continuing partially because of ongoing fossil fuel burning, according to NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 2023, Storm Babet washed oysters away from reef sites as it moved through Western Europe, for example. In response, experts have been releasing tens of thousands of oysters, including juveniles, along with other materials to help restore crucial oyster beds. The most recent cube project uses cleaner concrete called Marine Crete to form the habitats, which have ridges and portholes to promote oyster growth and invite other species to interact with the structures, according to the release.
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The smarter mix is important, as Princeton University reported that the concrete sector is responsible for up to 8% of the planet's heat-trapping carbon pollution. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about 91% of Earth's excess heat is trapped in our oceans, causing some of the problems the oyster team is trying to alleviate.
"We are using novel techniques to help us contend with the challenges of restoring species in a challenging environment. The oyster reef cubes have been selected to help provide a stable environment for the oysters during storms, and we hope that over time they'll also attract fish, sponges, and crustaceans to the reefs as we work to restore this lost ecosystem," Gamble said.
It's a problem that started more than a century ago when overharvesting, pollution, and disease began eroding the native population. It has experienced a 95% drop, according to the experts. The cube work is part of a five-year program to restore the populations, with more than $267 million being spent by a partnership of organizations involved in the work.
"This project is breaking new ground," Ashleigh Tinlin-Mackenzie, Groundwork marine ecology technical lead, said in the release.
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Absolutely 👍 Reef Rocket, a plant-derived, bio-cement-based structure developed by an interior designer, is another project underway to save oysters. Other researchers are developing better ways to raise more oysters sustainably.
Informed consumers can help support sustainable initiatives, including by investing in projects. In fact, a green 401(k) can deliver performance similar to a standard plan, if not better, while supporting businesses that share your values.
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