The Wild Oysters Conwy Bay Project: #NNF3 Connecting Conwy

We are improving our understanding of the local presence and distribution of key marine habitats—seagrass, native oysters, saltmarsh, and blue mussel—and identifying barriers to their recovery. Activities include:

• Desk-based study consolidating existing habitat data
• Updating habitat suitability assessments
• Targeted field surveys to ground-truth habitat maps
• Invasive non-native species (INNS) surveys
• Knowledge-exchange workshop with partners and practitioners to explore scaling up restoration

We continue to use native oyster restoration in Conwy Bay as a case study to understand feasibility and impact, while also exploring the potential to expand restoration in the Menai Strait. Activities include:

• Ongoing monitoring of oyster nurseries and restoration in Conwy Bay
• Ground-truthing of oyster habitat suitability modelling outputs
• Identifying trial restoration locations
• Feasibility study on oyster survival in the Menai Strait

Connecting Conwy aims to engage coastal communities in marine recovery. By raising awareness, delivering training, and offering hands-on learning, we are building a network of informed ocean stewards. Activities include:

• Offering paid training opportunities to early-career researchers
• Delivering citizen science opportunities and developing low-cost monitoring methods
• Participating in local events to raise awareness and connect with communities