Last week we took part in the final IMMERSE project conference in Antwerp, Belgium. Over the last few years, we have been undertaking our IMMERSE (Implementing Measures for Sustainable Estuaries) project, working alongside 11 project partners from 7 different estuaries across the North Sea Region. This international project has aimed to address a variety of challenges and pressures facing North Sea Estuaries. Multiple large-scale measures have since been implemented across these estuaries to actively address these challenges and many innovative solutions have been explored.
The conference took place over two days and saw over 60 people attend from across Europe. On the first day, we heard from a variety of speakers discussing many interesting topics surrounding current estuary management measures and strategies to tackle unwanted pressures being put on the IMMERSE project estuaries. Later we heard from each individual project partner, where an update and summary on each unique project solution was given. It was exciting to further learn about each distinct project measure and see the progress that every partner has made.
On day two of the conference, we headed out onto the Scheldt Estuary, where we were taken downstream by boat. This boat trip provided us with the fantastic opportunity to hear from more industry experts about the pressures that the Scheldt Estuary faces and to see for ourselves the interesting measures that have been put in place to address these.
IMMERSE in the Tees
In the Tees, our project work has been focused on two separate measures designed to improve the water quality and to restore some natural habitat inside the estuary. We have already started creating a new piece of intertidal habitat along a small section of the Tees. Sadly over 90% of the natural estuary intertidal habitat has been loss due to past industrialisation. This work will help to regain some natural estuary edge habitat and is due to be completed this summer. This newly restored area will soften the existing hard estuary edge, improve habitat connectivity for species along the River Tees and provide many ecological benefits to local wildlife communities.
Through this IMMERSE project, the feasibility of co-locating a mariculture scheme inside the Teesside Inshore Wind Farm has also been reviewed. Such a measure would work to create a number of environmental and socio-economic benefits, including improving the water quality, environmental health and natural ecology within the estuary area.
If you’d like to learn more about this exciting project taking placing in estuaries across Europe, follow the link below!