The RaNtrans nutrient remediation workshop event was hosted on 3rd November by the University of Portsmouth (UoP) at the Eldon Building and Conference Suites.

The workshop was opened to UK-based businesses and organisations focussed on nature-based solutions – such as cultivation of native oysters, seaweed, marine worms, as well as bioactive extracts from algal mat, and the key policies that influences public attitudes and behaviours towards restoring nature.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in workshops and networking sessions which connects researchers, policy advisors, nature conservation groups, water companies’ representatives, investors, and aquaculture businesses from all over the UK and as far as the Netherlands, Europe.
The information exchanges and knowledge transfers during the workshop sessions gave the participants the opportunity to gain a comprehensive visibility and find strategic partnerships for developing their ambitions and aims.

Bespoke nutrient remediations methods for upscaling was the focus of project RaNTrans researchers, and it inspired conversations among participants about landscape scale nature recovery strategies, nutrient trading, nutrient neutrality, net zero, biodiversity net gains opportunities in the Solent and further afield. The challenges associated with these ambitions were also discussed. There were interests and questions from some participants about the nutrient remediation and carbon sequestering potential of cultured oysters, as well as the likely contributing impacts from non-native species such as Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) if they were permitted to be grown along with native oysters. Dr Joanne Preston from the UoP was able to provide technical advice from her research on cultivation of both species, while Mr Graham Horton from Natural England provide policy guidelines relating to non-natives species such as Pacific Oysters.

Professor Gordon Watson of the University of Portsmouth and project leader for RaNTrans opened the workshop with a good overview of the project and preliminary results from some of the work packages. He explained that there is a growing concern in the UK and Europe as well as further afield about water pollution in our environments and eutrophication issues. RaNTrans France (Channel) England (FCE) project is being funded by the European Regional Development programme with partners in the UK and France working in collaboration to develop nature-based solutions to restore transitional water quality for social, environmental, and economic benefits.

This programme was developed with June 2023 as the end date and the workshop is providing participants with the opportunity to connect and start conversations for carrying out further research or upscaling the results and models developed by RaNTrans.

Thanks to all our partners for their work that contributed to the presentations and the success of the workshop.

A detail summary of the outcomes from the workshop will be shared in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

You can also find out more about RaNTrans by signing up to our Newsletter (rantransproject.com/#signup) visiting the website (rantransproject.com) and following us on twitter (@ProjectRaNTrans)