(Image: Supplied)
More than 1,000 juvenile lobsters have been released into the North Sea off Yorkshire as part of a Dogger Bank Wind Farm-backed conservation scheme.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm and the Whitby Lobster Hatchery released 1,054 juvenile European lobsters in a wider marine conservation effort.
Joe Moody, head aquaculturist at Whitby Lobster Hatchery, said: "After raising these lobsters from the moment they hatched – counting them, feeding them, keeping their tanks clean – it is always so rewarding to see them released back into the wild at the end of their hatchery journey.
"This release in particular is very exciting due to the unique nature of the site.
"It offers the possibility of post-release monitoring, so we at the hatchery can know just how well they are doing once they're back out in the North Sea.
"We are keen to continue our work with Dogger Bank, and learn more about our little lobsters after their time in the hatchery."
The Whitby Lobster Hatchery, run by the North Sea Conservation charity, works with fishermen to collect berried, or egg-bearing, female lobsters.
The eggs hatch at the facility, where the young lobsters spend around eight weeks in tanks until they develop claws and can survive on the seabed.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has supported the hatchery for several years, helping fund its conservation, education and research work.
The lobsters were released in the Dogger Bank C nearshore development area, where the wind farm is being built off Yorkshire.
The release was combined with environmental DNA (eDNA) water sampling, a non-invasive way to monitor marine biodiversity.
Researchers filtered seawater from nearshore and offshore sites to collect DNA traces naturally shed by marine life.
The DNA helps researchers identify species in the area and establish a baseline for marine biodiversity and lobster distribution.
Sarah Reed, offshore consents manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: "Dogger Bank Wind Farm's partnership with the Whitby Lobster Hatchery represents a long-term investment in the biological resilience of the North Sea and the team were delighted to support an offshore release with the opportunity for further research.
"By releasing lobsters at the juvenile stage the survival rates, compared to lobster eggs hatching in the wild, dramatically increase.
"By rearing them through the most vulnerable stage at the Whitby Lobster Hatchery and taking the opportunity to optimise this group of lobsters' offshore deployment alongside the wind farm’s construction programme, we can significantly improve their odds of survival and reproduction.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to combine a juvenile lobster release with the trial of new eDNA water sampling equipment and hope it sets the foundations for further research into this important species."
The partnership aims to boost lobster stocks, improve understanding of the marine environment and deliver lasting environmental benefits.
It funds breeding, rearing and release programmes, along with education and community outreach.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm lies 125 to 290 kilometres off Yorkshire’s east coast and is being built in three 1.2GW phases.
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SSE Renewables is leading development and construction, while Equinor will become lead operator when the wind farm opens.
The wind farm is expected to operate for around 35 years.
When complete, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is expected to power about six million average homes and boost the UK economy by £6.1 billion over its lifetime.