Marine rewilding project given funding boost to restore Sussex's kelp forests

Ten projects across Britain have been awarded up to £15,000 in the latest round of the biannual fund that supports innovative approaches to rewilding land and sea.

The Blue Marine Foundation is working with partners to champion, study and facilitate the restoration of kelp along the Sussex coastline through the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project.

Historically, vast kelp beds stretched along more than 40 kilometres of the Sussex coast – teeming with life and providing vital habitat. But since 1987, over 96 per cent of Sussex kelp has disappeared. Increased storm intensity, years of destructive trawling and other human pressures have reduced this underwater forest and remarkable natural carbon store.

The Rewilding Innovation Fund will help the project move towards its goal of restoring this vital marine ecosystem through the implementation of a sediment workshop. The workshop will aim to collaboratively develop an adaptive framework for monitoring sediment sources and pathways to optimise the conditions for natural kelp recovery.The recovery of kelp beds to their historic range will bring extensive ecosystem service benefits including increased nursery and feeding areas for fish and shellfish, healthier commercial fish and shellfish stocks to support local fishing communities, increased wave attenuation to reduce coastal erosion, and increased absorption carbon into deep sediment banks offshore.

Sara King, rewilding manager at Rewilding Britain, said: “We’re delighted to be able to fund more exciting and innovative rewilding projects across Britain with this latest round of the Rewilding Innovation Fund. The recent UN climate report was crystal clear: we need swift and drastic action to avert the nature and climate crises, and rewilding is a proven method by which to do that. This extremely exciting marine habitat restoration project offers hope, and is set to make a big difference.”

Sam Fanshawe, from Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Funding for a topic as complex and visually unappealing as sediment mitigation is not readily available, and yet it could be one of the key barriers to the natural recovery of the kelp habitats that have been lost in Sussex.

“Support from the Rewilding Innovation Fund will allow us to organise a workshop to bring together over 50 key stakeholders involved in monitoring and regulating sediment inputs to Sussex coastal waters, along with local fishermen and sea users who have observed the changes and impacts of sediment on local habitats and fisheries.

“The Sussex sediment workshop aims to collaboratively develop an adaptive framework for monitoring sediment sources and pathways and optimise the conditions for natural kelp recovery.”

The Rewilding Innovation Fund has been made possible through funding from the Dormywood Trust and various other generous supporters.

Rewilding Britain is running a fundraising appeal to support the ongoing success of the Rewilding Innovation Fund, and from April 20-7every donation through the Big Give’s Green Match Fund will be doubled by champion and match funders. For further information and to donate, go to rewildingbritain.org.uk/donate.