The objective of the proposed Marine Park for the seabed off the Sussex coast would be to regenerate vital habitats, fight Climate change and boost the economy. The area earmarked for the project used to have an abundance of kelp forests. These have disappeared, and the authorities have realized that it is important to restore them. That would help to maintain the ecological balance.
The Queen owns the seabed that stretches to a distance of 12 nautical miles off the coast. This will become a marine park. The Queen would release the area on lease to Adur and Worthing councils in West Sussex.
Sky News reports that this would set the trend for something bigger. The vision is for a Sussex Bay marine park that would stretch along the entire coast covering East Sussex and West Sussex. In February 2018, a news item mentioned plastic pollution ruining marine lives in the oceans.
The environment would benefit from the marine park
A kelp forest has the ability to capture large amounts of carbon emissions. The plan envisages restoring the lost forest. Adur and Worthing councils estimate that the restoration could capture carbon emissions of more than 7,000 homes. That would support the cause of climate change and translate into a remarkable boost to reduce global warming. The whole world is worried about this issue, and leaders have discussed the subject at various forums.
There has been an increase in the number of wildfires, flash floods, cyclones, and other climatic disturbances worldwide. Then there are the melting of glaciers and breaking away of icebergs that are harmful to the environment. To arrest climate change, many countries have opted for alternates to fossil fuels. These fall in the category of renewable energy like solar power or wind power, or electricity.
Sky News quotes a member of Adur District Council saying: "We have a bold vision, and that is to see the waters off our coast and our estuaries teeming with marine life again.” She is Emma Evans, a member of the environment. She adds kelp would capture an enormous amount of climate-warming carbon. It would also help the environment by bringing back the natural beauty of the region.
Worthing Borough Council member describes the marine park as a "potential game-changing project." In August 2018, a red tide report and green algae bloomed, endangering marine lives on the Gulf Coast.
The seabed off West Sussex to restore marine habitat
According to The BBC, there are plans to create a marine park in Sussex Bay. It would stretch along the entire length of the West Sussex coast. The Crown Estate manages the land on behalf of the Queen. The Estate would give it on lease to a couple of councils who would undertake the task of bringing back to life the lost marine habitat. The intention is to extend protection to habitats like kelp forests. Incidentally, there is a legal provision in place that excludes trawling up to certain limitations.
This would help the kelp forests and marine lives to survive.
Kelp forests allow marine lives to flourish
Kelp forests are treasures that nature has bestowed upon us. These need to be preserved because they provide habitat, nurseries, and feeding grounds for a wide variety of marine creatures. These include seahorses, cuttlefish, lobster, sea bream, and bass.
The BBC says the Crown Estate is keen to see councils invest in kelp forests. In the past, these used to extend for a length of nearly 25 miles along the West Sussex coastline and into the sea by another 2.5 miles. A major advantage of these forests is their power to absorb huge quantities of carbon. Other benefits are improvement in the quality of water and reduction of coastal erosion. Loss of the kelp is probably a result of trawling vessels that ripped them from the seabed.
