Restoring Our Wildlife Under the Waves

Rewilding is often associated with images of dense woodlands, meadows jewelled with wildflowers and powerful long-lost predators. However, oceans can be rewilded too and filled once more with their own aquatic alternatives in the shape of kelp forests, swaying seagrass meadows and an abundance of our dwindling native marine species. Humans living on the coastline have always depended on the ocean, whether that be for food, medicine or mythical stories. Yet over the years, it seems we have relied on the sea a little too much with all our oceans now a shadow of their former selves. For example, in 1913, the British seas provided 1.2 million tonnes of fish but today, only 400,000 tonnes make their way onto our beaches as fish populations plummet. Thanks to heavy fishing, pollution, coastal development and frequent shipping, biodiversity loss driven by habitat destruction is one of the most severe environmental issues facing our planet, with less than 15% of Europe’s coastline considered in good condition. For humans, this means we are losing vast supplies of food and potentially thousands of undiscovered medicines whilst we also lose the simple beauty and magic that our underwater world never fails to conjure. While marine rewilding projects have been slower to take off than their terrestrial counterparts, a new wave of restoration projects have launched around the globe in the last few years, giving us hope that our coastlines can be restored to their former beauty.

The coast of Sussex is now home to the UK’s first ever kelp rewilding project. Kelp is another name for brown seaweed and these slimy tendrils grow at an astonishing rate, tangling themselves into tall swaying forests under the waves. However, since 1987, kelp forests on this coastline have declined by almost 97% as heavy trawling nets were dragged almost daily across the seabed, tearing any plants from their sandy base. Last year however, the project had a major breakthrough when the local fishing authority announced a ban on trawling in the 300 kilometre square conservation area which stretches along the coastline from Brighton to Chichester. Finally, the remaining kelp has a chance to put down roots and begin to sprout into a twisted underwater woodland. This decision to ban trawling was largely influenced by the voices of 2,500 members of the public who desperately wanted to see their local beachfront restored to its former splendour which really shows the impact each of us can have over the future of our environment. The benefits of rewilding this patch of ocean are almost endless. With a fresh forest of kelp, young fish will be able to feed and hide among the fronds, increasing their likelihood of growing to adult size. Many of the fish living here are likely be plaice and cod which will swim out into the surrounding waters and boost the stocks available to local fishermen. Similarly, crab and lobster numbers will thrive in the forest and the spill over of these crustaceans into the wider ocean will also benefit the fishing industry. Hidden amongst the kelp could also be rare seahorses whilst a higher number of dolphins and seals may be spotted from weekend walks on the shore as they take advantage of the new abundance of food. Kelp can help us in our race against climate change as it has exceptional skills at absorbing and storing carbon dioxide whilst the forests themselves will act as a natural coastal defence against increasing storms as the angry waves are slowed by this wall of seaweed.

A similar project is taking place in Wales except these nature lovers are instead focussing on restoring seagrass beds. Since 1990, we have lost 7% of Britain’s seagrass beds every year due to coastal development and pollution. Yet these tiny, often forgotten ecosystems are essential. Again, they provide a safe place for young fish to grow whilst they also house seahorses, urchins, starfish and sea snails. Unlike on land, the ocean is mostly free from borders and is one giant interconnected space, making it much easier for species to move back to the regions they inhabited long ago without any human relocation programmes. Seagrass is another great help in our battle against a warming climate as these underrated plants absorb carbon dioxide 35 times faster than our tropical rainforests! They even filter seawater, absorbing our toxic pollutants to leave the surrounding sea a cleaner, safer place for our marine species. To restore this wonder-plant, conservationists have collected a mighty one million seeds from underwater environments in Cornwall, Wales and Dorset and planted them off the Pembrokeshire coast. This hopes to speed up the process of how an ecosystem would naturally recover, allowing species to move back home sooner and we humans to experience our lost ecosystems within the coming years. Project Seagrass hopes to create a 20,000 metre square haven for increasingly rare British species whilst also helping us take on our carbon emissions. For any keen swimmers, divers or water-goers, they have created the Seagrass Spotter website where you can record your sightings of seagrass around the country to help us monitor the state of Britain’s coastal waters.

In other parts of Europe, several varying marine initiatives have been formed which will hopefully soon be adopted in other countries around the world. For example, in Tenerife, the invasive long spined sea urchin has been removed from some parts of their volcanic coastline which has allowed algae to grow once again, bringing back hungry loggerhead turtles and the rare angel shark. This technique can be applied in many regions where there are invasive species. For example, the UK is suffering from a boom in foreign sea squirts which are threatening mussel industries. Many of our invasive species arrive after attaching themselves to the submerged hulls of ships which allows them to cross vast oceans without putting in any effort at all. Once they are close to land again, many decide to disembark, with some causing our native wildlife more trouble than others.

In Turkey, community patrols are now underway to stop illegal fishing in the Gokova Bay area. So far this has been largely successful and the quieter seas packed full of fish have attracted sandbar sharks, loggerhead turtles and even the endangered Mediterranean monk seal back into the crystal waters. There are so many inspiring examples of ocean rewilding happening around the world and hopefully, within the coming years, there will be many more thriving marine projects up and running. As many parts of the world have experienced some level of lockdown over the last year, humans have been forced to stay away from our marine environments. In these couple of months, our seas are already becoming wilder, richer places once more with species not seen in some areas for decades remerging and poking their noses above our clean waters. With nature proving it is capable and desperate to thrive, we should have hope that our outdoor landscapes and seascapes can become a little more wild within the coming years.

Whilst marine rewilding is still in its early stages, it gives us lots of chances to get involved with upcoming projects and follow their success with wonder and excitement. A great project to keep an eye on is the ‘Summit to Sea’ programme in Wales. This aims to rewild a whole range of environments from uplands to forests, meadows to coastlines and the results hope to show how the fate of our ocean and countryside are intimately connected. Marine rewilding promises more diverse and exciting coastlines which can provide us with ample food whilst filling our minds with inspiration as gannets dive at rushing speeds, bright crabs scuttle across the seafloor, basking sharks glide open-mouthed under the surface and dolphins leap ecstatically up towards the sky.

By Neve McCracken-Heywood