The blueprint took a seascape approach, recognising Sussex Bay as a dynamic mosaic of interconnected habitats shaped by natural processes and human activities. By addressing the seascape as a whole, we aim to tackle environmental challenges holistically and collaboratively.

In Part 1 we focused on integrating research across the natural sciences, social sciences and economics to support and restore our blue ecosystems. We emphasised the importance of natural capital - our water, species, habitats - and how they provide vital ecosystem services such as recreation, food, and biodiversity support. Importantly, through new evidence and analysis, we showcased the important ecosystems we have in Sussex and the pressures they are currently facing. This foundation is important in helping decision-makers and environmentalists look to the future for nature and social recovery. 

What happens next?

With Part 1 complete, we are now moving into the next exciting stage: Part 2 – Plans for a Thriving Sussex Bay.

Workshops with experts and organisations.
Over the coming months we are hosting a series of workshops in collaboration with Sussex Nature Partnership, bringing together specialist experts and key organisations. These sessions will explore how we translate the framework from Part 1 into concrete actions in Part 2: prioritisation of sites, mobilisation of restoration projects, understanding and removal of pressures, research, monitoring and evaluation, and how to scale successful approaches. You can read the outputs of our first October 2025 workshop by clicking on the report below:

Community-based engagement and activities.

Following a successful competitive funding bid by Dean Spears in June 2024 and the subsequent award of dedicated funding, and following a competitive tender process led by Dr. Lewis White, we commissioned the team from Always Possible in late 2024 to work with over 200 members of local communities across the region, to help set the scene for our ongoing community engagement and participation work running alongside our plans. Amy Carey from Sussex Underwater helped to edit the report. The majority of the engagement work was completed by March 2025, with the report submitted by the team in April 2025. You can read the report:

We believe that the knowledge, experience and aspirations of local communities matter. That’s why we’ll also be running a series of inclusive, community-based activities designed to listen, share and co-create ideas for a thriving, resilient seascape that supports both people and nature. We have been planning these for some time and will announce more details on our community pages over the months ahead. If you would like to attend or be part of your community workshops, please sign up to our newsletter as we’ll publish details about them there. Together, we’ll explore questions such as: What does a resilient Sussex Bay look like for you? What opportunities and uses matter most? Which places should we focus on for nature recovery, recreation, learning, livelihoods, or cultural connection?  Equally, Sussex Bay is all of ours and we welcome your ideas as we shape Sussex Bay together.

As part of our engagement strategy, in 2026, we’ll also launch the Sussex Bay Seascape Recovery Champions Scheme, a network of local volunteers who act as friendly links between communities, partners and the coast. The Champions help share knowledge, spark ideas and inspire collective action for a healthier, more resilient marine environment.

We hope to gather insights through these activities to directly shape the Sussex Bay Blueprint for Seascape Recovery and guide future efforts across protect and restore our coast together.

In the meantime, we’ve published a how to get involved page, with tips and ideas shared by communities which you may find helpful. If you would like to share ways for communities to get involved in your project or idea, please get in touch with us.