Projects
The Sussex coastline
Sussex Kelp Restoration
Currently, kelp stocks in Sussex stand at 4% of their range in 1987 owing to trawling practices, storm damage and sediment dumping in coastal waters. Our partnership with the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project seeks to restore the kelp to its historic levels.
Our work supports new groundbreaking research on the Sussex Coast, pioneering cutting-edge work in the restoration of this devastated area with an aim of returning the habitat to it’s original size. Research will also seek to understand the lifecycle of carbon captured by kelp and the unique species of kelp in the Sussex marine environment. Successful restoration of the entire area is estimated to be able to capture 800 tonnes of CO2.
Voted the Best Environmental Project at Frieze 2022
Frieze art fair attendees were invited to vote for their favourite environmental charity through Pinwheel- an initiative bringing together artists, audiences and organisations across the non-profit and private sectors to grow and deepen support for meaningful planet repair. Platform Earth’s Sussex Kelp Restoration Project received the most votes, marking itself as the most relevant charitable initiative to Frieze’s audience.
Kelp on the Sussex seabed
Sussex IFCA Trawling Exclusion By-Law
We are proud to have supported the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority in the passing of a landmark near-shore trawling exclusion bylaw. Signed off in March 2021, just before another season of trawling, the bylaw legislates that trawling is illegal within the 300km2 protected area off the coast of West Sussex.
Following the successful implementation of the bylaw and trawling ban there are early signs of kelp recovery along the coast of Sussex, with new stands finding a foothold once more and bringing hope for the return of the once magnificent kelp beds. In partnership with the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project, we are funding, supporting and tracking the progress of the restoration.
“This is a landmark decision for the management of the UK’s coastal waters. Sussex’s remarkable kelp forests will now have a chance to regenerate and provide a home for hundreds of species, creating an oasis of life off the coast, enhancing fisheries, and sequestering carbon in our fight against climate change.”
- Sir David Attenborough
The Needles, Isle of Wight
The Solent
In 2022 funds from the sale of the CARBON Collection are supporting ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration in the Solent. This project draws together marine carbon capture conclusions from projects we fund serving as a powerful lobbying tool to convince government agencies of the value of large-scale blue carbon ecosystem restoration.
The Solent once hosted abundant oyster reefs, salt marshes, seagrass meadows and kelp forests but has been subject to consistent degradation. It now presents an almost unique opportunity to restore these fragmented habitats at an ecosystem scale. If restored, this could see a revitalisation of the Solent waterway, bringing substantial benefits to fishermen and other local stakeholders.
Mangrove Restoration
Mangrove Tree in the Caribbean with a wealth of biodiversity
Mangroves have a big impact on climate. Although they’re only about 3% the size of the Amazon rainforest – mangroves can sequester four times more carbon than rainforests. Research indicates at least 35% of the world’s mangrove forests may have been lost between 1980 and 2000.
Straddling the interface of land and sea, mangrove forests are of two worlds. Their branches provide homes for lizards, snakes and nesting birds, while their roots, when submerged, become protective nurseries for baby fish and sanctuaries for marine mammals.
Mangroves also provide a slew of benefits for coastal human communities. They act as storm and flood barriers, filter river water of pollutants and trap excess sediment before it reaches the ocean. Their role as fish nurseries can also have big impacts on local economies and food production.
Watch this space as in 2023 Platform Earth hopes to announce their support of an international mangrove restoration project. The project will sequester carbon whilst also increasing the biodiversity of the area. Our partner prides themselves on putting the local community at the forefront of their projects; as poverty is one of the main drivers of deforestation, the project will develop sustainable income and resources for community use.
MANGROVE FORESTS ARE BIOSEQUESTERS
Biosequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon in living organisms such as plants and algae.