Sussex Seabed Restoration Project

Can you remember our October front cover two months back?

The illustration showcased a snapshot of our local inspiring NHS worker Steve Allnutt who, after over three decades of freediving, witnessed the gradual decline of kelp along the Sussex seabeds. Motivated by his profound love for the sea, Steve took it upon himself to singlehandedly rewild the Sussex seabed. His unwavering dedication to this endeavour not only captured local attention but also garnered international acclaim! What started as a simple lockdown pastime has evolved into a global recognition of his heroic efforts.

Last month, I visited Steve at his home in Lancing, which also houses his ‘Kelp Hub.’ Sat sipping some tea, Steve shared what had inspired him to undertake this pursuit.

“So, I’ve been diving in Sussex waters since 1994, and over that time, I’ve collected an awful lot of knowledge about the coastline from Selsey down to Seaford. I became inspired to regenerate the seabed because over the years, we’ve lost so much kelp. During lockdown, and not being able to play football as well as I used to, I needed a new hobby, and it turned into kelp restoration. At the time, there was a lot of awareness about issues with kelp across the Sussex coastline, so I thought to myself, ‘well, I’m a freediver, I film underwater, I love my fitness and my swimming, so I’ll give kelp restoration a good ol’ go.’”

Steve then set up the Sussex Seabed Restoration Project. When he began active Kelp restoration, he secured crowd funding to aid in the recovery of the seabeds. With no ongoing seabed restoration in the UK, he connected with individuals from other parts of the world on Instagram.

“I started looking on Instagram at other Kelp restoration projects on a global level. There was a lady from Canada, who was also bored during lockdown, who spent her evenings in Vancouver teaching me online. I bought all the equipment she advised me to buy from the crowd funder. I started growing Kelp and that’s how it started with the Kelp Restoration Project, and then that went on the TV and it snowballed from there onwards.”

Something that also inspires Steve to keep going is how it’s accessible for most members of the community to watch and engage with.

“Many people learn in different ways, and I believe an evidence-based approach is crucial. You involve your face, and film the process, using hand gestures underwater to demonstrate actions. There’s a lot of body language involved in practical activities. Since communication is impossible underwater, pointing at what you’re doing and then describing it afterwards allows people to engage in their own way.”

The power of social media, film and Steve’s impressive skill of freediving have been crucial to the amazing restoration of the seabeds. Without Steve, we wouldn’t know what our Sussex seabeds look like.

“After completing so many dives, I end up swimming the same route repeatedly. Whether I’m heading down to Selsey or Seaford, I almost create a mental map of the sea. Having done these swims hundreds of times, I remember the best spots and revisit them, filming and editing videos to share on social media. People are often surprised by the clarity of the sea in these videos and how much is visible, such as Stringrays and more. It engages viewers and helps them realise the diverse marine life that exists along the coastline. In a recent radio interview, I mentioned that with a substantial budget, an exceptional underwater nature video showcasing the abundant biodiversity could be created here. Many people aren’t aware of the richness of our waters, though there’s a noticeable absence of Kelp.”

Steve explained that there are three keystone species along the Sussex coastline, which are Oysters, Kelp and Mussels. Kelp creates an underwater forest.