Sussex Wildlife Trust has launched a new Marine Appeal, aiming to raise £100,000 to support its vital work gathering evidence to protect the county’s coastline and seas.

The funding will support two programmes: Seasearch, which trains volunteer divers to survey underwater habitats and wildlife, and Shoresearch, where volunteers monitor species and habitats along Sussex’s beaches and coastline.

Without consistent surveying, gaps in data can make it harder for the Trust to campaign for greater protection and respond quickly when marine habitats are threatened.

However, the number of Seasearch divers has nearly halved since the pandemic, while the cost of carrying out surveys continues to rise, with hiring a boat now costing around £750 a day.

Sarah Ward, marine conservation officer at Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “Nature can’t speak for itself in decision making rooms, but evidence can.

“Gathering enough evidence can be a big challenge in conservation but with your support, we will be able to train more divers, keep survey boats in the water and gather the evidence we need to influence decisions.”

Sussex Wildlife Trust’s evidence-based campaigns have already had a significant impact both locally and further afield. Its campaign for restrictions on bottom-towed trawling has supported the recovery of Sussex’s kelp forests, with lessons from this work shared at international conferences too.

More recently, the charity campaigned against the dumping of dredged material from Brighton Marina at Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone, home to short-snouted seahorses and rare chalk reef habitat.

More than 800,000 habitat and species records collected by divers and snorkellers are held in the national Seasearch database, with Sussex records stretching back to the early 1980s.

Sarah said: “Thanks to our evidence-gathering work we have been able to contribute to the designation and management of our local Marine Conservation Zones, which now cover 22% of Sussex seas and protect habitats supporting species including black sea bream, tope sharks and sand eels.

“The threats facing our seas aren’t going away. The data we collect gives wildlife a strong, credible voice, and your support ensures that our voice continues to be heard.”

To support Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Marine Appeal, please visit: https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/appeal/marine-appeal/