The UK is about to get Europe’s largest oyster reef, with four million native oysters set to be returned to the seabed off the coast of Norfolk (main picture) in eastern England. Conservationists say the scale of the project could transform local waters and provide a model for marine restoration across the continent.
By the end of 2026, 40,000 specially designed clay structures, known as ‘mother reefs’, will be placed on the seabed. Each is seeded with hundreds of juvenile oysters that will grow into adults, creating an interconnected reef system along the North Sea coast.
When mature, these reefs will filter millions of litres of seawater each day, stripping out pollutants and providing a home for diverse marine life.
