HASTINGS KELP PROJECT
WHO WE ARE
We are a volunteer 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. socially, by creating job opportunities, fostering local businesses, and encouraging community engagement. It can also enhance infrastructure, improve public services, and strengthen cultural and social connections among residents.
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.
Our mission encompasses three core objectives: enhancing biodiversity, tackling climate change, and fostering education to empower current and future generations to take meaningful, sustainable actions for the benefit of all species.
OUR OBJECTIVES
We are dedicated to transforming the 4.5 miles of unspoiled, cliff-fronted shingle beach from Hastings to Pett Level into a thriving sanctuary for wildlife and a natural carbon-sequestering forest.
Our goal is to restore marine life along the coastline, envisioning a future where seals, porpoises, and dolphins play in waters teeming with diverse marine species. We aim to support a rich ecosystem featuring lobsters, crabs, starfish, urchins, nudibranchs, rays, sole, and expansive mussel beds - all flourishing in a vibrant, healthy marine environment.
Join us in creating a coastal habitat where nature thrives and the environment is protected for future generations.
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 shore, kelp forests serve as natural barriers, reducing wave impact. They also play a vital role in preventing coastal erosion while filtering pollutants from the water. This dual function helps maintain cleaner, more stable marine environments essential for coastal ecosystems and communities.
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 create calmer, cleaner seas, boosting tourism by attracting rockpoolers and marine explorers. Increased biodiversity supports Hastings’ 1,000-year-old beach-launched fishing fleet, enhancing fish stocks and sustaining local fishermen while promoting eco-tourism, conservation, and the town’s rich maritime heritage.
WHERE WE ARE
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 marine and avian life.