Henri Brocklebank
Chair, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (SKRP) & Director of Conservation, Sussex Wildlife Trust
Henri has been involved in SKRP since the byelaw was first agreed locally in January 2020. As chair her responsibility is to ensure that the group stays true to its vision and aims, and that at the heart of the project the Steering Group is guided by open and inclusive communication.
Henri has worked on nature based partnership projects for the last 25 years though most of this has been on land. She is not a marine scientist but loves learning more about marine life every day.
George Short
Project Coordinator, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (Sussex Wildlife Trust)
George has the responsibility of coordinating the partnership and the project’s activities to ensure that our aims and objectives are being met - from research and monitoring, through to collaborations and presentations.
Her experience using research to inform effective marine conservation spans the UK, Ireland and Saudi Arabia and covers habitats from coral reefs to kelp beds. Having previously worked in marine ecology research, George is delighted to now apply her knowledge of human impacts on the environment to enable marine recovery in Sussex, for the benefit of marine life and local communities.
Nikki Oliver
Project Support Officer, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (Sussex Wildlife Trust)
Nikki is responsible for the project’s administration, communications and enquiries. She comes from a campaigning background, on campaigns to protect wildlife from national and international trade. She has also run projects to protect whales and dolphins from ghost-netting, is a trained Marine Mammal Medic (BDMLR) and is enjoying developing her marine conservation knowledge with the SKRP.
Rob Pearson
Chief Fisheries and Conservation Officer, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA)
Rob has worked for 17 years in fishery management and conservation. Starting his career in the Environment Agency, he joined Sussex IFCA as the Chief Officer in May 2023 and, much like a migratory salmon, has thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of transitioning to a fully marine environment. He feels privileged to lead an exceptional team of dedicated conservation and fishery managers, working towards sustainable fisheries and a healthy marine environment in Sussex.
Dr George Balchin
Conservation and Research Manager, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA)
Together with a small, but bright and enthusiastic team, George is responsible for the research and monitoring that informs the development and review of all Sussex IFCA's fisheries byelaws; this includes collecting, collating, and synthesising both anecdotal evidence from stakeholders, as well as empirical data on habitats and fish stocks. His background is as an academic, using citizen science data to monitor long-term and seasonal trends in shark populations.
Dr Chris Yesson
Research Lead, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (SKRP) & Senior Research Fellow, Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
Chris is a researcher and MSc course director at Zoological Society of London. He is a benthic ecologist studying coastal and deep water seabed habitats around the UK and the Arctic. He is also the Research Lead for the SKRP.
Sam Fanshawe
Senior UK Projects Manager, Blue Marine Foundation
Sam has represented Blue Marine Foundation on the SKRP Steering Group since the kelp recovery project started in 2021. Sam previously led marine conservation programmes and campaigns on sustainable fisheries, marine protected areas and pollution for over 25 years with the Marine Conservation Society and currently manages UK fisheries, MPA and restoration projects in the UK with Blue Marine Foundation. She studied the community ecology of kelp forests in California, so the SKRP project takes her right back to her roots.
Emily Bulled
UK Conservation Engagement Coordinator, Blue Marine Foundation
Emily is based at Blue Marine Foundation as the UK Conservation Engagement Coordinator and leads research, policy work and stakeholder engagement on a range of UK Marine Protected Area and fisheries projects, including in Sussex. Emily undertook her MSc degree in Conservation at University College London, studying the effectiveness of MPAs in Jersey, Channel Islands.
Dr Ray Ward
Reader of Marine Sciences, Queen Mary University of London
Ray leads the research for SKRP on carbon sequestration and leads the Climate and Earth Systems Science research group at Queen Mary University of London. He has been working for over 20 years on investigating the impacts of global change on coastal and marine ecosystems and their role in mitigating climate change. He is based in Sussex and whilst he works on projects throughout the world, Sussex has a special place in his heart, and he spends a lot of time on or under the water here for work and for fun.
Peter Jones
Emeritus Professor of Environmental Governance, Department of Geography, University College London
Peter’s research focuses on the governance of human uses of marine ecosystems, with a particular applied focus on marine protected areas, marine spatial planning and fisheries management. He is also chair of the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) and have been involved in the development and implementation of the Inshore Trawling Byelaw since the inception of Sussex IFCA in 2010.
Dean Spears
(Head of Sussex Bay), Adur & Worthing Councils
Dean represents Adur and Worthing Councils within the partnership. His role at Adur and Worthing Councils is as lead for Sussex Bay, supporting nature recovery and coastal regeneration across 100 miles of coastline between Camber Sands and Selsey Bill.
Affiliate member representatives
Eric Smith & Catrine Priestley
Founders, Sussex Underwater
Eric and Catrine, are a father and daughter team who run the community group Sussex Underwater. They featured in the BBC documentary “Our Lives; Our Sea Forest”, which showcased the recovery starting to happen in Sussex since a ban on bottom trawling came into place in 2021. Eric is now 76 years old and started diving in the bay when he was 11. He was instrumental in highlighting the damage bottom towed fishing gear was having on the ecosystem. He co- founded Sussex Underwater so that the sea was never out of sight and out of mind again. They now share their incredible films of the recovery they are starting to see in Sussex with over 20,000 followers on social media; through local talks and presentations; and in working closely with marine conservation organisations. Their aim is to make everyone fall in love with the local marine ecosystem and push for trawler bans like this all over the UK.
Sarah Cunliffe
CEO, Big Wave Productions
Sarah is a TV producer, and the CEO and Founder of documentary production company Big Wave Productions . She has been involved with the Sussex kelp since 2018 when she made the ‘Help Our Kelp’ film with Sir David Attenborough, to raise awareness of the loss of our underwater forests. Following the implementation of the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, she made the BBC1 Our Lives: Our Sea Forest film about free diver, Eric Smith and his daughter, Catrine Priestley from Sussex Underwater documenting the sea-bed’s slow recovery. She is a multi-award winning producer/ director with a special interest in all things marine.
Researchers
Professor Mika Peck
Professor of Conservation Ecology, University of Sussex
Mika is dedicated to conservation through scientific research and grassroots action, focusing on developing new approaches to conservation. His work emphasizes the importance of community engagement in preserving biodiversity.
Dr Valentina Scarponi
Assistant Professor in Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Sussex
Valentina teaches students key topics in ecology and marine biology, with a focus on field work and practical skills in the UK and abroad. She has a PhD in shark behaviour and physiology and further acquired specialism in biodiversity monitoring, temperate ecosystems and coral reef conservation.
Alice Clark
Doctoral Researcher, University of Sussex
Alice is a 4th year PhD student at the University of Sussex. Her research focuses on monitoring biodiversity along the Sussex coast since the introduction of the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw using Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs) and environmental DNA. She has a background in evolutionary biology and zoology.
Marianne Glascott
Doctoral Tutor in Life Sciences and PhD Researcher in Marine Ecology, University of Sussex
Marianne is a PhD Researcher at the University of Sussex, where she specialises in developing ecotoxicology methods and protocols focused on the microlife stages of kelp species. Her research is dedicated to understanding how environmental factors affect the health of marine ecosystems, particularly kelp forests.
Claude Annels
Doctoral Researcher, University of Brighton
Claude’s research is into the potential carbon sequestration of Sussex kelp species. Under the care of Dr Ray Ward, Queen Mary University London, and Dr Corina Ciocan, University of Brighton, the work to identify the contributory carbon by Sussex key kelp species sees Claude fulfilling a lifetime ambition of marine obsession. The return to academia in 2018 was a master’s research project investigating the impact of Glass-Reinforced Plastic on the marine environment. A proud SeaSearch contributor since 2018, who is super passionate about all things briny!
Madi Bowden-Parry
Doctoral Researcher, University of Exeter
Madi is a CDT SuMMeR PhD Researcher investigating the history of Sussex kelp habitats. She is a a marine historical ecologist that utilises mixed method approaches to generate a deeper understanding of change within, impact on and the use of, marine ecosystems over multi-decadal time scales.
Her research provides an important historical dimension to the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project by providing a better understanding of the distribution and extent of historical kelp habitats in Sussex, their timings and drivers of decline, and their social-ecological significance over time. Her work will establish an in-depth historical baseline that can inform contemporary recovery and management efforts.