RDE305 Shellfish Nutrient Cycling Study

As part of Year 2 of the Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment Programme (mNCEA), the Environment Agency are running a project called the Land-Sea Interface (LSI), which aims to improve the evidence of ecosystem services in key estuarine and coastal habitats, such as saltmarsh, seagrass and shellfish beds. This specific project aims to address the evidence gap in assessing different shellfish's filtration rates. It aims ascertain the ability of nitrogen/chlorophyll removal by the shellfish and then link these outputs into Combined Phytoplankton- Macroalgae (CPM) model. This will enable us to better understand the full range of services and benefits provided by our shellfish natural capital assets, beyond their role as food provision for humans.