Oysters are important ecosystem engineers, which play an instrumental role in increased biodiversity and carbon capture. Left undisturbed, they create complex underwater networks, made up of shells and sediment, which provides habitat, refuge, and food for other marine life. As filter feeders they also provide a crucial ecosystem service by filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day. Once abundant across our shores and spanning up to 20 miles each, these Oyster beds suffer from overfishing. The effects of the industrial revolution are evident: today, they are now scarcely found on the British coast line. The Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project aims to quantify an environmental return on investment cost to encourage companies, like DEEP’s partner Glenmorangie, to invest in oyster restoration projects across the UK. DEEP calculates the net carbon capture ability of Oyster beds, comparing the carbon locked into their calcium shells, the carbon captured within the sediment of the oyster beds, and the positive effect oyster beds have on biodiversity.
