Sussex Underwater Forests Show Signs of Recovery

Published 2 weeks agoon August 29, 2026

Sussex Underwater Forests Show Signs of Recovery Five Years After Trawling Ban

Five years after bottom trawling was banned across 300 square kilometres of the Sussex coast, encouraging signs are emerging that the area’s once extensive underwater ecosystem is beginning to recover.

Kelp forests once covered large areas of the Sussex seabed, providing important habitat and nursery grounds for marine life while supporting local fisheries. However, by the time the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project was established, around 96% of the region’s kelp forests had been lost.

In 2021, new measures prohibited bottom-towed fishing gear across a large area of the Sussex coastline, giving the damaged seabed an opportunity to recover. Rather than planting kelp, the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project is taking a nature-led approach, removing human pressures and allowing the ecosystem to regenerate naturally.

Five years on, some of the early results are proving encouraging. Large expanses of mussel beds are beginning to return, providing the hard substrate needed for kelp to eventually re-establish itself. The project is also recording increases in black sea bream, alongside signs of growing numbers of sand eels and mackerel.

George Short, Kelp Recovery Coordinator for the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, told CIWEM that the team had not expected to see significant recovery at such an early stage in what will be a decades-long process.

The project will continue to monitor the recovering ecosystem while investigating other pressures affecting Sussex waters, including marine heatwaves, sediment and water quality. The hope is that lessons learned from Sussex could ultimately provide a blueprint for marine rewilding elsewhere around the UK.

Source: CIWEM / Sussex Kelp Recovery Project https://www.ciwem.org/news/planet-possible-how-sussex-is-bringing-its-lost-underwater-forests-back-to-life?

Jane Morgan

Jane’s lifelong love for the ocean began in childhood and has shaped the course of her life and career. After learning to dive in 1991, she spent much of the '90s teaching scuba and working on marine conservation projects in the Philippines and Borneo. A chance encounter with a film camera on a dive trip to Egypt in 2001 ignited a passion for underwater photography, inspiring her to leave the corporate world and pursue a full-time career in dive travel and photojournalism. Since then, her work has been published in a wide range of national and international magazines, books, and newspapers. She has filmed underwater for the BBC, judged major photography competitions, and received numerous accolades—including the prestigious Plongeur d'Or at the Festival Mondial de l'Image Sous-Marine. In 2009, Jane became a freelance photojournalist, and in 2011 completed a BA (Hons) in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University, where she now works as a Dive Safety Officer. Based in Cornwall, Jane dives locally year-round and is passionate about showcasing the rich marine life found in UK waters. As a proud ambassador for Dynamic Nord and Fathoms Free, she actively supports marine conservation initiatives and advocates for ocean protection through her storytelling. In her newest role with Scubaverse, Jane combines her love of travel, diving, and storytelling—sharing experiences from around the world to inspire others to explore, protect, and connect with the underwater world.

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