21 Apr 2026
Photo by Karl Hanssens Two developments this week have put Sussex’s marine conservation zones in the spotlight – one bringing new protections, the other raising fresh concerns about the integrity of a neighbouring site. Trawling ban takes effect off Beachy Head A new law banning trawling and scalloping in a zone of 101 square […]
24 Mar 2026
Photo by Andy Castille Five years after a ban on bottom trawling along the Sussex coast, scientists, fishers and conservationists are reporting the first meaningful signs of seabed recovery — with mussel beds stretching more than a kilometre and increasing numbers of black sea bream detected in underwater surveys. The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (SKRP), described […]
06 Oct 2019
Kelp once stretched along 40 km of the West Sussex coastline from Selsey to Shoreham, forming an underwater forest that extended at least 4 km seaward. It provided a vital habitat, nursery and feeding ground for seahorses, cuttlefish, lobster, sea bream and bass. It locked up huge quantities of carbon, helping us to fight climate […]