In East Devon, we are surrounded by bodies of water – in the rivers, the lakes, the wetlands, the sea, and the potholes. But have you ever thought about what is happening under the water? How is that world related to ours? Artists Anne-Marie Culhane and Emma Welton have been asking exactly these questions on the Exe Estuary.

Tidelines, founded by Culhane and Jo Salter, is a community-led CIC which aims to find interdisciplinary ways to care for the Exe as a direct response to climate change and biodiversity loss. Focusing on some of our less celebrated and more vulnerable species, the ‘Rocks to Reef’ project explores how the estuary is tied to the culture and future of East Devon. This project spans artist practice, archival research, scientific investigation, and collaboration with Lympstone shellfish farmers, revealing how our relationship with the estuary requires adaptation to shifting economic and environmental conditions.

What might the future of fishing communities look like?

The Exe contains two distinct types of oysters: the native oyster (Ostrea edulis, literally meaning ‘edible oyster’), and the Pacific or Rock oyster (Magallana gigas). But Rock oysters did not find their way into the estuary alone. They were introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the collapsing shellfish industry. This decline resulted from the previously unsustainable fishing of native oysters, pollution, habitat destruction, and the proliferation of Bonamia ostreae, a lethal microscopic parasite. Nowadays, maintaining balance in the estuary requires constant management efforts by those who live and work there to keep its ecosystem healthy.

Fisherfolk Jason and Toby Ingham and aquaculturist Martin Syvret have been working together to understand the lives of our aquatic acquaintances as the environment continues to change. One way that they seek balance is by utilising the Rock oyster to help restore the endangered native oyster. This is done by placing dead shell back into a subtidal area in the Exe to form what is called a cultch, which is where an oyster reef is formed - hence the project title ‘Rocks to Reef’.

The Ingham family has worked on the River Exe for generations, shaping a livelihood in rhythm with the estuary. Today, as one of the few remaining fishing families in Lympstone, it is evident that the knowledge preserved by a continuous, embodied practice has become invaluable. Currently focusing on sustainable farming and managing the Exe’s three shellfish species - mussels, native oysters, and Rock oysters - in symbiosis, Jason is keenly aware of the role they play in the ecosystem. From water filtration and carbon sequestration to protecting our coastlines, they are all crucial engineers in our local habitats. On top of this, they provide us with a source of food which yields many health benefits.

How can we connect with the Exe?

Anne-Marie, who has been living with live oysters in an oxygenated tank in her living room, has been closely observing them through a lens of respect. Alongside Olive Fitzgerald, the artists have been investigating ways to create pigments by sustainably gathering shells for crushing, burning, and dissolving. Culhane is also mapping a multiplicity of other uses for the shells. Meanwhile, activist-musician Emma Welton has been exploring the sensorial world of shellfish by recording bioacoustics, creating instruments from shells, and spending time out on the mud. The artists’ research has even extended into the Lympstone historical archives: Investigating the history of community ownership, rights to shellfish harvesting, as well as mussel and oyster occurrences throughout history and literature. They hope that by fostering both human and more-than-human perspectives, we can find ways to care for the unsung heroes of our underwater world.

On March 21, to mark the spring equinox, Tidelines are inviting members of the public to Lympstone from 11am – 4.00pm to take part in a multidisciplinary event ‘Balance in Constant Adjustment’ for creative workshops, displays of local artists’ work, musical performances, a community discussion, and a taste of Jason and Toby’s oysters. Tidelines wants everybody to be able to experience and understand the importance of shellfish on the Exe. This event is not only a demonstration of the work done during the ‘Rocks to Reef’ project: it is a way for us to reconnect with, to learn about, and to show our support for the Exe estuary and all of its inhabitants.

For more details on this event contact info@tidelines.uk or www.tidelines.uk.

Emma's blog detailing her research can be read here.

Tidelines’ other work with mussels can be read here.

Article written by Indie Hansford, volunteer on the ‘Rocks to Reef’ project and MA Curation student at the University of Exeter.