The application of remote sensing to monitor loss of kelp habitat along the Sussex coastline

In Summer 2020 Alex Briggs undertook a masters thesis project at Imperial College, supervised by Chris Yesson. Abstract Kelp forests, one of the most biodiverse habitats on earth and holding a high ecosystem service value, are declining globally due to climate change and anthropogenic fishing activities. Despite these threats, kelp distributions are often unmonitored, preventing …

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Reflections on the mechanical harvesting of kelp: science, environmental change, wider thoughts and a way forward

by Juliet Brodie 9th November 2018 Revised 19th June 2019 Introduction Kelp forests are biologically remarkable marine habitats.  They occur in cold and temperate shallow coastal waters and are one of the most productive habitats on the planet (Birkett et al., 1998). Supporting an immense diversity of organisms (Christie et al., 2003), acting as nurseries …

Taking to Lulworth Cove like a duck to water

Our team, hailing from the Natural History Museum (NHM), Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and University of Bristol, recently took a trip to Lulworth Cove, Dorset on a filming and data gathering mission. The aim of the trip was two-part, to build on existing information for our on-going kelp monitoring project and …

Methods applied to UK kelp monitoring and implications for wild harvesting

The executive summary from a report for the Crown Estate reviewing methods of monitoring Kelp abundance. Executive Summary Kelp forests are an important feature of the British coastline, covering approximately 19,000 km2. Levels of biodiversity living in this habitat-forming biomass rival that of tropical rainforests. Kelp also has commercial uses in pharmaceuticals, food, and fertiliser, amongst …

Determining the causes of changes in abundance of the large brown seaweeds of Britain

The executive summary from a report for the Crown Estate detailing the results of a project to examine drivers of change in seaweed abundance around the UK. Executive Summary There have been an increasing number of reports of changes in abundance of large brown kelp and wrack seaweed species around the British Isles in the last decade, …

Using aerial images to quantify the extent of coastal seaweed habitats

The executive summary from a report for the Crown Estate detailing the results of a project to examine the use of aerial images to assess the extent of seaweed habitats. Executive Summary Large brown habitat-forming seaweeds, including fucoids and kelps, are highly productive, essential components of marine ecosystems and create conditions for diverse understory communities of flora …

Review of evidence for the loss of large brown macroalgae

The executive summary from a report for the Crown Estate detailing the evidence for declines in large brown macroalgae. Executive Summary A literature review was undertaken of the changes that have been reported in the distribution of fifteen large brown macroalgal species that characterise temperate rocky shores and the shallow subtidal in the marine environment in …