Kelp is the name given to a group of seaweeds, which often form dense aggregations known as ‘kelp forests’. These forests once stretched along 40km of the Sussex coastline from Selsey to Shoreham and provided a vital habitat, nursery and feeding ground for seahorses, cuttlefish, lobster, sea bream and bass. Kelp forests can lock up huge quantities of carbon, helping us to fight climate change, whilst improving water quality and reducing coastal erosion by absorbing the power of ocean waves.

Sadly these forests are under threat from bottom trawling, storm damage, and the dumping of sediments.

The new Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, passed in March 2021, prevents trawling within 4km of a stretch of West Sussex coast allowing the rewilding of kelp forests along 300km2 of the seabed off West Sussex from Chichester to Brighton.

“Sussex’s remarkable kelp forests will now have a chance to regenerate and provide a home for hundreds of species, creating an oasis of life off the coast, enhancing fisheries, and sequestering carbon in our fight against climate change.” Sir David Attenborough.

Sussex Wildlife Trust Project Website: https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/helpourkelp