Plan to restore marine life gets royal nod of approval
Ambitious plans to restore coastal marine life in the Solent region have been given a royal seal of approval.
In her capacity as a Blue Marine Foundation Ambassador, Princess Eugenie visitedtheSolentSeascapeProject (SSP)toseeforherselfthecrucialworkbeingdoneandmeet key project partners.
SSP is a multi-millionpoundinitiativetorestoremarinehabitatsacrosstheSolent region.
Thisfive-yearpartnership, funded by the Endangered LandscapesProgramme,aims torestoreseagrass,saltmarsh, oysters and seabird nesting habitats.
The project has taken significant steps recently, with work to restore saltmarsh in Chichester Harbour begun and the formation of a new oysterreefintheRiverHamble featuredinTheNewslastweek.
The Solent strait is one of the most heavily used waterways in the UK, negatively affecting internationally important marine and coastal habitats.
ThePrincessaccompanied the Solent team to the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Sciences to make biosecurity checks on native oysters being prepared for introduction in Langstone Harbour.
These nurseries dotted around the Solent’s marinas willhelptorepopulatethenew oyster beds in Langstone Harbour
and the River Hamble, by producing millions of offspringthatcansettleandgrow.
The Princess also took a boat trip to help the team lower the new nurseries against a pontoon in Langstone Harbour.
Princess Eugenie said: ‘It was so inspiring to visit the Blue Marine team in Portsmouth and learn about the importantrolemarinewildlife and habitat plays in the waterways of the Solent.
‘I’m so excited by scalable projects like this, putting life back literally oyster by oyster. The Solent Seascape partnership really shows what can be achieved when passionate and dedicated partners come together.’
The Princess completed her visit meeting project partners including the RSPB, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency at the Spinnaker Tower.
Blue Marine Foundation is aUKoceanconservationcharity set up in 2010, aiming to restore the ocean to health.