What Stronger Shores does

Stronger Shores is a UK government-funded environmental project managed by South Tyneside Council that restores three marine habitats, specifically seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and oyster reefs, along the North Sea coastline from Lindisfarne in Northumberland to Skinningrove in Redcar and Cleveland. The project's stated purpose is to investigate and demonstrate how nature-based coastal protection can reduce flooding, coastal erosion, and climate change impacts on North East communities, against a backdrop where 95% of England's native oyster reefs and 50% of England's seagrass have been lost, parts of the North East coastline erode at approximately 1 metre per year, and the UK spends around £200 million annually on coastal flooding and erosion defence. Core technical work includes operating a seagrass nursery on the Tees Estuary, an oyster spatting pond and oyster nurseries at Hartlepool Marina and Sunderland Marina, an initial oyster reef deployment off Whitburn, and a small-scale seaweed growing research facility off the Durham coast.

The project operates through a multi-partner delivery consortium comprising Durham Wildlife Trust (seagrass monitoring and community engagement), Tees Rivers Trust (seagrass and oyster restoration), the Wild Oysters Project (a ZSL and Groundwork North East and Cumbria partnership), Newcastle University, and University of Plymouth. Four PhD research streams underpin the evidence base: kelp forest wave energy attenuation, remote sensing monitoring of seagrass, kelp and oysters, wave tank experiments using artificial structures, and Natural Capital valuation of coastal habitat restoration. Engagement is delivered via a curriculum-aligned education pack for KS2 and KS3 schools, an ArcGIS Story Map, citizen science Shoresearch surveys, and volunteer oyster monitoring sessions at Hartlepool and Sunderland marinas.

Stronger Shores has no commercial revenue model. The project is fully funded by Defra as one of 25 initiatives under the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes managed by the Environment Agency, with a defined project end date of March 2027. All services, educational resources, and engagement activities are provided free of charge to coastal communities, schools, and volunteers, and there is no pricing structure. The core team comprises approximately 11 named individuals including a Delivery Manager, Project Delivery Officer, Graduate Environmental Protection Officer, Project Officer, Marine Engagement Officer, Seagrass and Seaweed Research Officer, and four PhD students hosted by the partner universities.

Name

Stronger Shores

Legal name

Stronger Shores (a project of South Tyneside Council)

Website

https://strongershores.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stronger Shores is a UK government-funded project that restores seagrass, kelp, and oyster habitats along North East England's coastline to reduce flooding and erosion, delivered by South Tyneside Council with wildlife trusts, universities, and community volunteers through March 2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coastal Habitat Restoration Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Nature-based coastal protection
• Marine habitat restoration
• Seagrass meadow restoration
• Kelp forest restoration
• Oyster reef restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

South Shields

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grant Funding: Project is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency. This is grant funding for public benefit, not commercial revenue generation. Project end date is currently March 2027.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stronger Shores restores three marine habitats (seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and oyster reefs) along the North East England coastline to protect coastal communities from flooding, erosion, and climate change impacts. The project combines hands-on habitat restoration, scientific research through PhD programmes, community engagement via volunteering and citizen science, and curriculum-based education resources for schools. It is delivered by South Tyneside Council in partnership with wildlife trusts, river trusts, universities, and community organisations, and funded by Defra under the Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes.

Product overview

Stronger Shores is a nature-based coastal protection project offering a suite of programs and educational resources focused on restoring three key marine habitats—seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and oyster reefs—to protect coastlines from flooding and erosion. The core offering consists of the Marine Habitat Restoration Program, supplemented by an Education Pack for schools, an interactive Story Map for public engagement, and volunteer monitoring programs. The project is managed by South Tyneside Council and funded by Defra as part of the Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Habitat Restoration Program Nature-based coastal protection initiative restoring seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and oyster reefs to reduce flooding, coastal erosion, and climate change impacts along the North East coastline, delivered by South Tyneside Council with wildlife trust, river trust, and university partners.
• Stronger Shores Education Pack Free online curriculum-based toolkit for Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) and Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) teachers with coast-based curriculum links, including lesson plans, workshop videos, presentations, quizzes, and classroom activities about ocean health, climate change, and coastal habitats.
• Volunteer Monitoring Programs Free citizen science programmes enabling volunteers to participate in oyster monitoring sessions at Hartlepool Marina and Sunderland Marina, Shoresearch surveys, and habitat restoration activities through delivery partners including The Wild Oysters Project, Durham Wildlife Trust, and Tees Rivers Trust.
• Stronger Shores Story Map Interactive ArcGIS Story Map presenting the project's narrative, mission, and progress in restoring coastal habitats along the North East coastline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce wave energy by up to 40% through marine vegetation (kelp) deployment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Tyneside CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead managing organization for the Stronger Shores project. Houses the core delivery team including Dr Ken Buchan (Delivery Manager), Elsa Sim (Project Delivery Officer), Nicholas Holt (Graduate Environmental Protection Officer), and Bethany Handson (Project Officer). Provides governance, coordination, and project management for all delivery partners and associated organizations.
• Newcastle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner hosting 3 PhD students: Robyn Mastin-Wynne (kelp wave energy reduction), Alex Wickenden (remote sensing monitoring), and Jack Duffy (wave tank experiments with artificial structures). Conducts fundamental research on coastal habitat effectiveness.
• University of PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner hosting PhD student Helen Agosti who conducts Natural Capital framework research to calculate the economic value of restoring coastal habitats for flood mitigation and identify socio-economic benefits.
• Durham Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner hosting Blair Watson (Marine Engagement Officer) who engages communities with the project. Conducts seagrass monitoring at eight sites across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear coast. Deploys and monitors seaweed growing research facility off Durham coast. Coordinates school education sessions.
• Tees Rivers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner working to restore the River Tees from source to sea. Operates seagrass nursery on Tees Estuary, oyster nurseries in Hartlepool Marina and Dock, and spatting pond for oyster reproduction. Conducting seagrass restoration trials at Teesmouth where seagrass was last recorded over a century ago.
• The Wild Oysters Project (ZSL and Groundwork NEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner working to restore self-sustaining populations of native oysters in the North East. Partnership between Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Groundwork North East and Cumbria. Has deployed initial oyster reef off Whitburn coast in October 2023. Operates oyster nurseries in Sunderland Marina with monthly volunteer monitoring.
• North Sea Wildlife TrustsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization conducting Shoresearch citizen science sessions. Volunteers are trained to identify and record coastal wildlife, with data used to monitor sea life and understand effects of pollution, climate change, and invasive species. Shoresearch data has been key to designating Marine Conservation Zones.
• Zoological Society of London (ZSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZSL partners with Groundwork North East and Cumbria to deliver The Wild Oysters Project as part of Stronger Shores. Contributes expertise in native oyster restoration methods and broader ecosystem recovery research.
• Groundwork North East and CumbriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroundwork NEC partners with ZSL to deliver The Wild Oysters Project. Contact point for oyster monitoring volunteer queries ([email protected]). Supports delivery of large outreach and engagement programme for native oyster restoration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: Adjacent regional wildlife trust with coastal conservation and marine habitat projects along Yorkshire's coast; comparable delivery-partner model and reliance on lottery/public funding for habitat work.
• Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Regional wildlife trust operating marine conservation and coastal habitat work along the Cumbrian and North West coast; similar in scale, mission and reliance on lottery/grant funding for habitat restoration.
• Sussex Wildlife Trust (The Wilder Coast): Operates the Wilder Coast project restoring marine habitats on the Sussex coast for coastal defence; directly comparable in using nature-based solutions and wildlife trust delivery model, but operating on the south coast rather than the North East.
• Norfolk Wildlife Trust: Large coastal-focused wildlife trust with marine conservation zones and habitat restoration along the Norfolk coast; comparable in mission, public-benefit funding model, and citizen-science engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Marine Conservation Society: UK marine conservation charity working on coastal habitat protection, citizen science (Seasearch), and policy influence; comparable in combining research, volunteer engagement, and policy advocacy for marine recovery.
• Zoological Society of London (ZSL): Major conservation science organisation running marine restoration programmes nationally, including the Wild Oysters Project; comparable as a UK conservation funder and practitioner with substantial research capacity.

Direct peers

• Durham Wildlife Trust: Wildlife trust hosting the Stronger Shores Marine Engagement Officer and conducting seagrass and seaweed monitoring across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear; directly comparable in delivery function and citizen-science approach.
• Tees Rivers Trust: Catchment-based charity running seagrass nurseries and oyster restoration on the Tees Estuary; a delivery partner for Stronger Shores and operates essentially the same activities at a sub-regional level.
• Project Seagrass: UK charity dedicated to restoration of seagrass meadows, with active projects at Swansea and around the British Isles; one of the few organisations deploying restoration at the same habitat and scale as Stronger Shores, and named as a referenced source of imagery on Stronger Shores' own site.
• Wild Oysters Project (ZSL / Blue Marine Foundation): Native oyster restoration programme across the UK; directly comparable as a habitat-based coastal restoration project using citizen science and nursery deployment, and is itself a delivery partner feeding into Stronger Shores' North East activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StrongerShores
• Facebookfacebook.com/StrongerShores
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/stronger-shores-582376274
• Instagraminstagram.com/strongershores

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stronger Shores