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Restoring Sussex's Kelp Forests A Tale of Recovery and Hope

The Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority is one of ten IFCAs around the coast of England which manage sea fisheries resources and the marine environment from mean high water out to six nautical miles. We have powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to write and enforce our own byelaws in our own districts to manage the exploitation of sea fisheries resources, including within Marine Conservation Zones. We came into force in April 2011, replacing our predecessors the Sea Fisheries Committees. <br>

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Restoring Sussex's Kelp Forests A Tale of Recovery and Hope

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  1. Restoring Sussex's KelpForests:ATale ofRecoveryandHope betterworlds.com

  2. UniversityofSussexProfessorMikaPeckpointstotwomajorissuestothedisappearanceofUniversityofSussexProfessorMikaPeckpointstotwomajorissuestothedisappearanceof kelp:risingtemperaturesandhumanpressure.Atrawlingban,covering300squarekilometers, isastarttogivingtheecosystemachanceforanaturalrecovery. Off thecoastof Sussex,anambitiousproject is underwayto restore once-thrivingkelp forests thathaveallbutdisappearedoverthepastfewdecades.TheSussexKelpRecoveryProject,ledby researchersfromtheUniversityofSussex,aimstomonitorandfacilitatetherecoveryofthisvital marineecosystemfollowingatrawlingbanimplementedin2021. Historicallykelp,thenamegiventoagroupofbrownseaweedsthatformdenseaggregations knownaskelpforests,wasabundantalongtheSussexcoastlineandprovidedanessentialhabitat thatsupportedbothmarinelifeandlocalfisheries.But96%ofthisimportanthabitathas diminished over time, leaving just afew small patches andindividual plants. The SussexKelp RecoveryProjecthasagoaltobringitbackforthebenefitofnature,fisheries,coastal communitiesandourplanet.

  3. Thegroupworkedwithadiversecommunitytoimposethelocalbylaw,whichimpactslivelihoodsofThegroupworkedwithadiversecommunitytoimposethelocalbylaw,whichimpactslivelihoodsof somefisheriesbutalsowassupportedbyfisherswhoseethattherecoverywouldleadtobetter fishing,sportsfishing,net,pottingandcrabbing.Theprocessincludedcreatingdocumentariesto visuallyshowtheimpactandfeatureexpertsources.Overtimethefisherscametosupportthe projectastheawarenessgrewandpublicpressureforthebanalsorose. InthisepisodeofBluePioneers,HostandSeaChangeRowExpeditionSkipperKatBrucespokewith ProfessorPeck,PhDstudentAliceClark,andlecturer/projectco-leadValentinaScarponifromthe UniversityofSussextogaintheirinsightsintotheimportanceofkelpforestsandhearmoreabouttheir work. They painted a picture of a coastline that, prior to 1987, was teeming with life supported by extensive kelp beds stretching for kilometers out to sea. These underwater forests served as crucial nursery grounds for fishandprovidedhabitatforcountlessmarinespecies.Acombinationoffactorsincludingamajorstorm in1987anddestructivebottomtrawlingpracticesledtothenear-completelossofSussex'skelpforests. Theecosystemshifthashadfar-reachingconsequencesforlocalbiodiversityandfisheries.

  4. Theecosystemprobablywillnotrecovertothesamestateitwasbackinthe1980s,butithasachanceto becomemorebiodiverse than it waswhentrawling wasat its highest. In their mostrecent published study, the projectteamreportedfinding81differentmarinevertebratespeciesinthearea,includingdolphins,sharks,rays, cuttlefish andthe rare European eel waspicked upwith eDNAsamples. Still, this result is indicative of asad, degradedecosystem,Mikasaid. But there are also reasons for hope. As Valentina pointed out, nature has a remarkable ability to bounce back when given the chance. The researchers emphasized the importance of public engagement and a shift in how weviewourrelationshipwithnature. Lookingtothefuture,Mikaadvocatedforadoptinga"rightsofnature"legalframeworkthatwouldallow ecosystemslikethekelpforeststoberepresentedincourtagainstpollutersorotherthreats.Thisparadigm shift,coupledwithindividualactionsandcollectiveactivism,couldpavethewayformeaningfulchange. JoinintheseimportantdiscussionswithBluePioneers,aswefaceinterconnectedbiodiversityandclimate crisesandexploreprojectsliketheSussexKelpRecoveryoffervaluablelessonsinecosystemrestorationand thepowerofcommunity-drivenconservationefforts.

  5. EpisodeHighlights: • Sussexcoastlineoncehometoextensivekelpforests,crucialformarinebiodiversity • Trawlingbanimplementedin2021toallowecosystemrecovery • ResearchersusingeDNAandvideosurveystomonitorbiodiversity • 81marinevertebratespeciesidentifiedsofar,includingrareEuropeaneel • Challengesincludeclimatechange,pollution,andalteredseabedconditions • Researchersadvocatefor"rightsofnature"legalframework • Publicengagementandshiftinrelationshipwithnatureseenascrucialforconservation • Projectoffershopeforecosystemrestorationeffortsglobally • AbouttheProject: • TheSussexInshoreFisheriesandConservationAuthorityisoneoftenIFCAsaroundthecoastofEnglandwhich manageseafisheriesresourcesandthemarineenvironmentfrommeanhighwaterouttosixnauticalmiles.We have powers under the Marine andCoastal Access Act 2009 to write andenforce our ownbyelawsin our own districtstomanagetheexploitationofseafisheriesresources,includingwithinMarineConservationZones.We cameintoforceinApril2011,replacingourpredecessorstheSeaFisheriesCommittees.

  6. IFCAVision Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities will lead, champion and manage a sustainablemarineenvironmentandinshorefisheries,bysuccessfullysecuringtheright balance between social, environmental and economic benefits to ensure healthy seas, sustainablefisheriesandaviableindustry. DiscovermoreabouttheUK’slargestmarinerewildingproject Learnmoreaboutthisepisode’sGuests: MikaPeck,professorofconservationecologyattheUniversityofSussex. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mika-peck-59263424/ AliceClark,https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-clark-phd/ ValentinaScarponi,lecturerattheUniversityofSussexcoleadthekelprestoration project.https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p357470-valentina-scarponi

  7. AboutKat Dr.KatBruceisCEOandFounderofNatureMetricsLtd.,aleadingproviderof biodiversitymonitoringdata,usingeDNAsurveys,metabarcodingandmore. Sheistheskipperofateamofsixwomenwhoworkinthefieldsofnature,climateand corporatesustainabilitywilllaunchtheirdata-collectionSeaChangeRowExpedition on June 9. Beginning at the Tower Bridge in Londone, the crew will row 2,000 miles around the British coastline without stopping and unassisted. Their mission to to collectdataonbiodiversity,microplastics,soundandoceantemperature,whichwill supportingalongtermstudyonoceanhealthledbytheUniversityofPortsmouth. TheBluePioneerspodcastdocumentstheworkthatisbeingdoneandfeatures projectsthatareontheSeaChangeroutethissummer.

  8. CONTACTDETAILS: Brand Name-Betterworlds Address- 444WOceanBlvd,Suite800,Long Beach,California90802,US Phoneno.-1-562-294-4646 Category - Technology,Informationand Internet betterworlds.com

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