Sir David Attenborough backs plans to repair Sussex's kelp

The Sussex Kelp Restoration Project plans to help regrow kelp - a large seaweed - along the West Sussex coastline that has diminished to almost nothing.

Wildlife that was associated with the kelp has also disappeared, including the ecosystems that it provided service to.

The recent Nearshore Trawling Bylaw means that the nearshore seabed of the Sussex coast is protected from bottom-towed trawling - a type of fishing that involves dragging weighted nets across the seafloor - which helped to destroy the kelp.

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This bylaw came after years of campaigning supported by Sir David Attenborough, he said: "This is a landmark decision for the management of the UK's coastal waters.

"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.

"This large-scale protection of over 200 kilometres of the seabed is a vital win in the fight against the biodiversity and climate crises, ahead of COP26 later this year."

David Attenborough supports the campaign to restore kelp forests on the Sussex coast

Research is underway to map and monitor the seabed and biodiversity alongside the natural regeneration of kelp.

The Sussex Kelp Restoration Project research is collecting environmental DNA for analysis to create a biodiversity baseline.

An underwater drone will be used to explore and allow people to see the seabed transform over the years into a restored ecosystem that is capable of supporting productive fisheries and contributing to the local economy.

The Sussex Kelp Restoration Project will also be studying the need for and feasibility of active restoration.

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The project has been awarded funds from the Postcode Planet Trust, which has a "mission to support the environment and the enjoyment of nature".

Sally Ashby, Sussex Kelp lead, said: "The Sussex Kelp Restoration Project is an ambitious and hope-filled project.

"It aims to heal the Sussex marine environment, build climate change resilience and restore healthy productive seas for future generations."

Kelp is large brown canopy-forming seaweeds that form extensive aggregations called forests.

Kelp has been on the decline for the last 40 years

These underwater forests are highly productive and diverse habitats that are vital to supporting a healthy functioning ecosystem.

The kelp draws down carbon into the developing ecosystem, increases biodiversity and provides essential nursery habitat for juvenile fish species.

This enables the kelp forest to regenerate at scale could also help reduce coastal flood risk.

The project will collect evidence to demonstrate the importance of restoring marine ecosystems, including the economic and social benefits to fisheries and local communities.