HOW IT STARTED

In 2022, following the protests along the Sussex and Hampshire coast against the escalating water quality issues, Poppy was at work at Emsworth Yacht Harbour. She had taken part in the protests with a group of family and friends and the subject matter was still fresh on her mind.

Outside her office window was moored 'Terror' – the last of the old Emsworth fishing fleet – which, having been abandoned after the collapse of the local oyster industry, was lovingly restored and relaunched in 2006 and now takes day charters sailing around the Harbour. Looking at Terror and thinking about water quality, something clicked...but what was the science behind it?

That's where having a marine biologist sister came in handy and she called Lottie and asked "Do oysters clean water? And, so if we put them in the marina, would they help clean the marina?"

It suddenly all seemed so obvious, but so obvious that someone had to be doing it already. However, an extensive search and many conversations later, no existing provider had been found and so the girls set about drawing up a proposal and making plans to do it themselves.

A few months later, a small funding pot acquired, Cefas licence obtained and key stakeholders informed and supportive. Phase 1 began – a pilot to prove oysters could actually survive in the marina waters. 40 oysters arrived by first class post and Poppy, Lottie and their mum, guided by the Blue Marine Foundation, did their first biosecurity "scrub" at the Institute of Marine Science laboratory before taking the oysters to their new home in Emsworth, where they were lowered in onion bags at different locations around the marina. Fast forward a year and a bit, and 36 of the 40 oysters were still alive – the project was viable!

Meanwhile, Chichester Harbour Friends had caught an interest in the idea and had got in touch to offer enough funds to install around 1,500 oysters - brilliant! But, life had been marching onwards in other ways too; Poppy was now seven months pregnant and starting to plan her maternity leave, leaving the oysters without a project manager.

Again, having a marine biologist sister came in handy and Lottie got drafted in to run the project in her absence. Using a few industry connections and some gentle persuasion, the funding pot was boosted and the unit costs were dropped. In the first few days of 2025, an order was officially placed for 4,000 oysters. They didn't know it at the time, but this was going to make them the largest installation of it's kind in Europe!

On a cold February morning, in a van kindly loaned from the Blue Marine Foundation, Lottie drove to Pembrokeshire where, on a windy beach in Angle Bay she met Dr Andy Woolmer - shellfish ecologist and oyster farmer extraordinaire - and they loaded the precious cargo to be delivered back to the IMS labs.

The following day, with the help of over 60 wonderful volunteers brought together by Chichester Harbour Friends, the 4,000 oysters were carefully cleaned to remove any little hitchhikers and get them ready for their new home in Emsworth.