Restoration Forth

The Project’s Aims

The Restoration Forth Project is a multi-year project which endeavours to re-establish native habitats within the Firth of Forth. The project which has the financial backing of Scottish Power, intends to focus on the restoration of the Forth’s native oyster reefs and seagrass meadows. The project is set to take place from now until 2024, and over the next three years 30,000 oysters will be released and up to four hectares of seagrass will be restored. The project will be under the management of WWF but will be a collaboration of scientists, charities and community groups with the intended goal of connecting communities with their local sea scape.

The Firth of Forth was once a thriving marine ecosystem which supported a mosaic of native habitats and species, however, centuries of transformative activities and large scale industrialisation along its banks, has led to a shift in the environmental landscape.
The Forth formally supported an expansive oyster reef until our appetite surpassed their natural restocking ability, and as a consequence there are virtually no remaining oysters in the Forth today. Moreover, the extent of seagrass meadows present in the Forth are considered to be a fraction of their historic extent.

Restoration Forth intends to initiate the rejuvenation process of the Forth, by re-introducing these two species in greater densities it is hoped that these populations will be able to self-seed and propagate naturally, bringing with them beneficial ‘ecosystem services’ and encouraging an increase in biodiversity. Restoration Forth | WWF

The UN has designated this next decade, as the decade of ecosystem restoration in response to the acceleration of habitat loss. Restoration Forth is a project that aims to champion the incentives outlined by this UN initiative.

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust’s Headquarters in Dysart has been selected as one of the community hubs

How to get involved
This project will be facilitated through citizen science, volunteering opportunities and through a marine awareness programme. Please keep a close eye on our website and social media channels, so that you don’t miss an opportunity to get stuck in with seagrass restoration. As one of the community hubs we will also be offering a range of events from rockpool guddles, beach art and a range of practical conservation tasks, visit Fife Coast and Countryside Trust’s events page details of upcoming events.