Lymington harbour mud trial ‘exciting’ for habitat recovery

Dredged mud from Lymington harbour is being used to restore eroding saltmarsh, according to BBC News.

Dr Jonathan Dale, who is investigating similar schemes in the Severn estuary, provides expert comment on the benefits of the trial. For interviews, contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk.

Dr Jonathan Dale, Lecturer in PhysicalGeography at the University of Reading, said: “The restoration trial being conducted in Lymington Harbour provides an exciting opportunity to compensate for saltmarsh habitat loss within the harbour and the Solent more widely. It is estimated that over 50% of the Solent’s saltmarsh has been lost due to erosion. This has resulted in a reduction in the delivery of key benefits and services such as carbon storage, flood defence and homes for fish and bird species. If successful, the scheme at Lymington could help to reverse this trend and increase the extent of this important habitat.

“Typically, in the UK, saltmarsh has been restored through managed realignment, including major sites such as Medmerry in the eastern Solent and Steart Marshes on the River Parrett. Managed realignment involves creating a breach in the pre-existing flood defences and introducing tidal inundation to the land behind. However, this approach is not suitable for all locations due to, for example, the presence of infrastructure and heritage assets behind the current defences. 

“In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of alternative methods of saltmarsh restoration, including attempts to restore saltmarsh in locations that are already supporting this habitat. For example, in both the Dartand the Severn estuaries brushwood structures have been installed to trap sediment and encourage marsh build up. The trial in Lymington Harbour and the use of dredged sediment could provide another restoration method and increase the opportunity restore and compensate for the loss of saltmarsh habitat.”