Vast kelp beds once supported a wondrous diversity of marine life. They filtered the water, protected the coast from storms and supported local fisheries. But by the mid-1980s, 96% of Sussex kelp had disappeared. We aim to bring it back.
Kelp are large brown seaweeds found along rocky shores. Like marine trees, kelp create a 'canopy' beneath which many species takes shelter and find food.
As this includes commercial fish and crustaceans, kelp supports local livelihoods as well as providing other benefits for nature, people and planet.
This pioneering legislation created one of the largest trawling prohibited areas in the UK in March 2021.
At the same time, the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project was formed to champion, study and facilitate the return of kelp through through progressive, coherent and collaborative action.
Qualifying and promoting these benefits can help marine recovery in the UK and beyond.
A healthy kelp ecosystem is an ideal nursery for juvenile fish providing a safe place to grow.
Seaweeds remove inorganic nutrients from water.
Abundant kelp beds can absorb the wave energy of storms which helps to protect our coastline.
Kelp and other essential fish habitats provide food and shelter for a huge variety of fish, crustaceans, invertebrates and other marine life.
Kelp absorbs carbon as it grows, and by supporting other marine life, contributes to the global carbon cycle.
Kelp provide spawning grounds for many commercial fish species, supporting significant commercial and recreational fisheries.
Kelp and the animals they support create superb wildlife experiences.
Kelp provides shelter and feeding grounds for seals and dolphins.
Drift seaweed that washes up on beaches can be used as a fertiliser.
One kelp can support up to 80,000 individual animals!
SKRP's research includes towed underwater cameras, Baited Remote Underwater Videos, eDNA analysis and carbon dating techniques alongside surveys of shellfish, landings data and interviews.
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Combining the efforts of divers, marine biologists, policy-makers, fishers, local sea users and citizen scientists, the SKRP is a collective journey. Read about their passion for kelp!
Read more![5179-blue-marine-sussex-kelp-sediment-infographic_graphic-only_v4[68]-1679383875.jpg](/img/asset/aW1hZ2VzLzUxNzktYmx1ZS1tYXJpbmUtc3Vzc2V4LWtlbHAtc2VkaW1lbnQtaW5mb2dyYXBoaWNfZ3JhcGhpYy1vbmx5X3Y0WzY4XS0xNjc5MzgzODc1LmpwZw==?w=480&h=320&fm=webp&s=88b58a64ad3a6f9350bd172c93d510df)
Many factors may have changed since the 1980s, from poor water quality and increased sedimentation, to changing water temperature. SKRP is assessing the impact of these pressures
Read moreThe seasons are shifting once more, as is the focus of our 'News from the Blue' with a wider scope to our news coverage this month. We start locally with a report back on Sussex Wildlife Trust's successful 'SeaFest' event, then we share news from Westminster and then beyond...with a report on our Scottish seas, north of the border.
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With skin that can transform in the blink of an eye and a remarkable ability to vanish against the seabed, the Common Cuttlefish is one of the ocean's most extraordinary inhabitants. Although rarely seen, these intelligent animals are important predators in coastal ecosystems, helping to regulate populations of crustaceans, worms and small fish, while also providing food for larger marine species.
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With summer in full swing, we've been busy sharing the importance of kelp and its recovery, near and far. From representing kelp (on behalf of the Kelp Forest Alliance) at the Climate-Resilient Cities Summit on the Road to COP31 and supporting Sussex Wildlife Trust's Marine Week, to celebrating new research into kelp spore motility and discussing rewilding on the Planet Possible Podcast, it's been an exciting few weeks. We also cheered on the incredible Surfrajets, a team of Brighton sea swimmers who completed a Channel relay swim while raising funds for the project.
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