£1m first step to restore Sussex's coast

Work has begun to restore 100 miles (160km) of coastline after the Sussex Bay project received funding worth more than £1m.

The scheme will see the marine environment and rivers from Chichester to Camber Sands undergo a programme to accelerate their recovery from pollution and overuse.

Work is currently being carried out to create an artificial 'reef wall' and 'wildlife corridors'.

Dr Lewis White, research lead for Sussex Bay, said: "We are collaborating with authorities and researchers across our coastline to work out what needs to change and where to cherish and recover our ecosystem."

A 'reef wall' is currently being constructed at Shoreham Port, where officials are working with fishing communities to become more sustainable.

Tom Willis, chief executive of the port, said: "I believe Sussex Bay can restore fish stocks in the area and we've just opened our brand new in-shore marina to ensure that in-shore fishing, the most sustainable kind of fishing, is protected for many many years to come."

Sources of the £1m funding include the Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, Innovate UK and Championing Coastal Communities.

The project is working with local councils, ports and universities, who are conducting research on the marine environment.

After a reduction in pollution and an increase in fish was noted, it is hoped the area will also see more larger marine animals returning to the area.

Thea Taylor, managing director of the Sussex Dolphin Project, said: "If you look back at records from the 1800s there are documents of large pods of cetaceans off the Sussex coast but that really dipped when industrial and commercial efforts picked up.

"We're hopeful that with a well managed fishery, balanced with conservation efforts, we can once again have a really healthy cetacean population off the Sussex coastline."

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