HASTINGS KELP PROJECT
WHO WE ARE
We are a small community group dedicated to reintroducing kelp along the Hastings coastline in Sussex. Our collective brings together people from all walks of life, from PhD scientists to everyday volunteers, united by a shared passion for the environment. We are based within Hastings Aquarium with an expert team of marine scientists and zoologists sharing a passion for nature.
Our aim is to cultivate flourishing kelp forests that provide essential habitats, acting as nurseries, breeding grounds, and shelters for a wide range of wildlife, including mammals, fish, invertebrates, and birds. Furthermore, we seek to reduce CO₂ levels through these vibrant kelp ecosystems and improve coastal resilience against flooding.
Community Interest Company (CIC): Company number 15808105
OUR ETHOS
We believe nature deserves a helping hand. The oceans have been decimated through human behaviour and bottom trawling and they need our help to rebuild and grow. This will only happen with proactive action, growing, planting and management.
We aim to help nature to take its old course where the kelp, mussels, oysters, and fish once thrived. Our mission is to rewild these ecosystems using sustainable methods that minimize our impact, restoring nature to its rightful state.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Our project encompasses a variety of aims and objectives, with our primary focus being on transforming 4.5 miles of pristine cliff-fronted shingle beach, adorned with diverse rock formations, into a sanctuary for wildlife.
Our vision is to witness seals, porpoises, and dolphins playing amidst a bustling community of marine life, including lobsters, crabs, starfish, and urchins, flourishing along the entire coastline. From nudibranch to rays, sole and mussel beds, we hope to increase them all.
Wildife habitat
Kelp forests serve as vital habitats, offering sustenance, nursery spaces, and refuge to a diverse range of mammals, fish, invertebrates, and birds. They provide essential protection against predators and storms, ensuring the survival and thriving of numerous species within their ecosystem. The growth of kelp here can bring more wildlife to the shoreline.
Flood and coastal defenses
Close to the shore, kelp forests act as a natural barrier, dampening the impact of waves. Additionally, kelp plays a crucial role in mitigating coastal erosion and filtering pollutants from the water.
Carbon sequestration
Kelp has the remarkable capacity to absorb up to 20 times more carbon dioxide per acre than terrestrial forests, thereby playing a significant role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Moreover, it surpasses all other marine plants combined in carbon sequestration, further contributing to the regulation of atmospheric carbon levels.
Local ecoservices
Kelp forests provide calmer, cleaner seas which can help the town and tourism as they become a haven of increased marine biodiversity for rockpoolers and explorers.
WHERE ARE WE
Beyond the quaint 16th-century fishing huts at Rock a Nore unfolds a pristine expanse of natural beach and cliffs stretching for 4.5 miles. Scattered along the shoreline are various rock formations leading to Pett Level beach, enveloped by the enchanting Hastings SSSI Country Park.
This coastal haven harbour's dinosaur fossils and a diverse array of indigenous flora and fauna. Extending beyond the visible horizon, portions of the rocky terrain persist past the low tide mark, providing a sanctuary for seals, crabs, anemones, starfish, and other marine life.