Sussex Kelp Recovery Project - 2023 round-up
George Short
Kelp Recovery Coordinator
2023 has been another fin-tastic year for rewilding Sussex seas!
In March, on the International Day of Forests, we marked two years since 300km2 of local seabed was protected and the UK’s largest marine rewilding effort, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, was born! Shortly afterwards, we kicked off an enormous field season to survey how the seabed and marine life is responding to the protection. This huge research programme included underwater camera surveys, DNA analysis of biodiversity, divers taking cores of the seabed to understand carbon capture, and work with great local fishermen to see how the crabs and lobsters are doing.
All these eyes in the water are starting to see some hopeful signs of recovery. This year in particular, we saw massive expanses of Mussel beds popping up along the Sussex coast; the likes of which have not been seen for years. The Mussels are the first step in nature binding the seabed back together after years of destructive fishing practices, and we hope they will provide a hard base for the kelp to start to re-establish.
Local marine life beginning to flourish was also observed by members of the community all along the coast, with exciting reports of Angel Shark, groups of Stingrays and the return of Black Bream.
The journey to rewild Sussex seas was captured by local film company Big Wave Productions and shown in the moving documentary ‘Our Sea Forest’. The documentary, aired on BBC1 primetime, was told through the eyes of local freediver Eric Smith, who’s been diving in Sussex for the last 60 years, and included astonishing scenes of the sea creatures that are once more calling Sussex home.
This year has been an incredible example of how the collaboration between conservationists, researchers, fishers and the local community is providing the first green shoots of recovery for our seas.
You can now follow the rewilding journey on Instagram and X @sussexkelp