My PhD research

Historical kelp and Sussex communities

Understanding long-term change within marine ecosystems requires an interdisciplinary approach to research, one that employs various approaches from the historical, ecological and social disciplines. This enables deeper understanding of past human-ocean interactions, past ecosystem quality and function and the scale of which humans have impacted these environments.

This is particularly important for marine ecosystems that are difficult to survey, including kelp forests. Within my PhD, I investigate the long-term dynamics and decline of kelp habitats along the Sussex coastline, a habitat that was historically extensive in this area.

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Historically, based on two field surveys, this habitat was estimated to cover ~40km of coastline before experiencing a decline. These surveys provide at best, an estimate of historical kelp presence, and leave us with limited knowledge of the historical extent, and subsequent timings and drivers of kelp decline. Additionally, the influence of historical kelp on local communities and fisheries also remains unknown.

By utilising approaches from the field of marine historical ecology, I seek to generate a deeper understanding of a) where kelp habitats were historically present and their dynamics through time, b) their potential drivers and timing of decline and c) the sociocultural impact and value of historic kelp habitats to local Sussex communities. I use participatory and archival methods in my research, and work closely with small-scale fishers. 

The insights gained from my PhD will be used to inform future conservation and management efforts for the remaining kelp habitat, as part of the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project.

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Partners: Blue Marine Foundation, Marine Conservation Society, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. 

Funding: UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) through the Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources (CDT SuMMeR).