100 miles of nature, people, place and prosperity.
Sussex Bay is a regional collaboration working from Selsey Bill to Camber Sands, connecting our sea, coast, rivers and communities.
Home to 1.7 million people, we bring together evidence, investment, participation and delivery to help nature recover, strengthen coastal communities and grow a thriving blue economy.
The blue mirror to the South Downs.
Sussex Bay stretches across 100 miles of coast, from Selsey Bill in the west to Camber Sands in the east.
Our ambition is bold: a thriving Sussex Bay where nature is recovering, communities are shaping change and a growing blue economy creates opportunity for generations to come.
Everyone who lives, works, studies or spends time here can play a part.
From evidence to action
Restoring nature at the scale of 100 miles takes more than a single project, organisation or plan. Sussex Bay connects evidence, investment, communities, skills, innovation and practical delivery to help turn shared ambition into lasting change.
-
Across Sussex, the future of nature and the future of work are increasingly connected.
Our region is home to 1.7 million people, major ports, three universities and a powerful network of colleges, businesses and innovators. The potential is huge.
The geography sits within an economy worth approximately £27 billion in West Sussex alone, around 8 percent of the South East economy, with 379,000 employees across more than 42,600 businesses.
Chichester College Group alone educates and trains around 25,000 people each year, while Rampion 2 is expected to support up to 4,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction.
From marine restoration and environmental monitoring to engineering, data, construction, renewable energy, research and nature positive business, the transition ahead will need people with a wide range of skills.
That is why Sussex Bay connects nature recovery with skills, innovation and good jobs, helping more people see a future for themselves in the recovery and prosperity of our coast.
-
Our first ever Blueprint for Sussex brings together evidence, expertise and lived experience to understand the Sussex seascape, the pressures it faces and the opportunities for recovery.
Developed through workshops with regulators, environmental charities, communities, scientists and partners, it provides a shared foundation for action and forms the voluntary marine extension to the two Local Nature Recovery Strategies covering Sussex.
-
The UK’s first Blue Natural Capital Lab tackles one of the biggest barriers to marine recovery: how promising ideas become credible, investable and deliverable projects.
We bring together communities, regulators, researchers, project partners and potential funders to test better ways of developing, financing and scaling marine and coastal recovery. The Lab pays for all of our work.
-
Lasting recovery must be shaped with the people who live, work and spend time here.
From community engagement and creativity to fishing communities, younger people, volunteers and local organisations, we are creating more ways for people to influence priorities, share knowledge and take part.
-
Nature recovery and coastal prosperity can strengthen one another.
Our emerging Centre for the Blue Economy brings together universities, colleges, ports, businesses and public partners to connect marine innovation, skills, infrastructure, investment and nature positive growth.
-
Our working five year Delivery Plan connects habitat recovery, investment, participation, blue economy opportunity and practical delivery.
It sets out how we intend to move from shared ambition to action across Sussex Bay.
-
Nature recovery is already happening across our region.
Explore events, volunteering opportunities and community projects across Sussex Bay. Whether you have an hour, an idea, specialist expertise or simply curiosity, there are many ways to take part.
-
We work with partners to help develop, connect and support practical projects across our sea, coast and rivers.
From native oyster recovery and fishing gear reuse to river restoration, coastal place making and emerging nature recovery projects, we help good ideas move forward, connect partners and unlock opportunity.
-
Explore our second annual report, Blueprint for Seascape Recovery, Delivery Plan and wider publications.
Together, they share what we are learning about nature recovery, participation, investment and delivery at regional scale.
-
No single organisation can restore a seascape of this scale.
We work across communities, local government, philanthropy, universities, colleges, ports, businesses, NGOs, regulators and project partners.
Together, we are building the relationships, evidence, investment and delivery capacity needed for a healthier and more prosperous Sussex Bay.
The Blueprint helps us understand where recovery is needed, what pressures must be addressed and where action could have the greatest impact. The Blue Natural Capital Lab helps unlock high integrity investment. Our delivery partnerships help turn ideas into practical projects. Communities help shape priorities and hold the work in place. The Centre for the Blue Economy helps build the skills, innovation, institutional capacity and delivery vehicles needed for long term change.
None of these elements is sufficient alone. Together, they create a regional system for moving from evidence to investment, from participation to action, and from nature recovery to lasting prosperity.
Get involved!
Check out our interactive map of nature activities and events in the Sussex Bay region.
Publications.
Through research, community collaboration and practical projects, we are testing ways to restore nature at scale.
We have just published our second annual report alongside our Blueprint for Seascape Recovery.
From vision to delivery: explore how Sussex Bay is building a five year programme for nature, communities and coastal prosperity via our working delivery plan.
For weekly updates & announcements on our events, news and blogs follow us on Linkedin.
Working with:
