A major milestone in UK marine restoration has been reached as 50,000 native oysters from Câr-y-Môr were deployed into the Daugleddau Estuary in Pembrokeshire - forming the foundations of natural, living reefs that will filter coastal waters, store carbon and provide shelter for marine life.

The deployment, which took place in October, is part of Natur Am Byth! - Wales’s largest natural heritage and outreach programme, delivered through a collaboration between nine environmental charities and Natural Resources Wales with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from Welsh Government.

The Marine Conservation Society leads Natur Am Byth! Môr, the marine arm of the programme building on the Welsh Native Oyster Action Plan, which is working to scale up the restoration of native oyster beds within Wales - aiming to recover this once-abundant species and the vital ecological roles it plays.

The native oysters will act as ecosystem engineers, filtering pollutants and supporting biodiversity in an estuary recognised for its protected habitats and species, but increasingly threatened by poor water quality.

In a further boost to the project, over 50,000 baby oysters have now moved house from Bangor University - where they were raised with support from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority - to Tethys Oysters where they will grow to maturity. Here, they will be housed and nurtured at an oyster farm in Angle Bay, until they are older, larger and ready to follow in the footsteps of the recently deployed native oysters - with plans to restore them to the seabed in 2027. This approach is designed not only to improve their chances of survival, but also to enable scientists to closely monitor their growth and wellbeing, ensuring they’re ready to thrive once deployed in our waters.

Bridget Orchard, Wales Program Manager at the Marine Conservation Society said: “This is a major milestone in our efforts to restore native oysters to Welsh waters. These adult oysters are more than just a species reintroduction - they’re foundational to marine ecosystem health, and their return signals the beginning of a wider recovery.

“What’s especially exciting is that they lay the foundations for the estimated 50,000 baby oysters now being carefully raised, who will one day follow in their footsteps. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when environmental charities, funders and local communities come together with a shared vision for ocean recovery.”

This next vital phase of the project, which encompasses the ongoing storage and care of the baby oysters, is funded by FatFace and the FatFace Foundation, who are paving the way for long-term investment into the health of our ocean.

This marks the first step towards the Marine Conservation Society’s exciting new Atlantic Coast Programme, which will build on the wealth of oyster restoration knowledge and experience developed through the Natur Am Byth! partnership. The programme aims to restore hero species such as oysters, seagrass, and kelp along the UK’s western coastline – helping to tackle climate change, purify our waters and rebuild lost marine habitats.

This work was made possible thanks to Sue Burton, SAC Officer for the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (via a Welsh Government funded project), Bangor University School of Ocean Sciences, FatFace and the FatFace Foundation.