The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project:
The UK’s largest marine rewilding effort!

Vast kelp beds once supported a wondrous diversity of marine life in Sussex bay. They absorbed carbon, filtered the water, protected the coast from storms and provided essential habitat for marine life. But by the mid-1980s, 96% had disappeared. We aim to bring it back!

The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project is a collaboration of national and local organisations taking an evidence-based approach to tackling the challenges of recovering kelp and other fish habitats.

At the heart of the project are the Sussex IFCA, Sussex Wildlife Trust (Chair), Blue Marine Foundation, Zoological Society of London, Queen Mary University of London, Adur & Worthing Councils with the Sussex Bay project, University of Brighton, and University College London - working closely with Sussex Underwater, Big Wave Productions and other academic institutions.

300km2 of seabed is now protected from the fishing practices known as trawling, by the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw. This is first step in our efforts to recover kelp and other vital fish habitats for the benefit of nature, fisheries, coastal communities and our planet!