As the climate emergency continues to strengthen, the North East is ready to protect its heritage coastline and needs your help.
By Georgia Wells
Seaburn beach, Sunderland
This World Oceans Day 2023 the North East of England demonstrated its commitment to protecting its coastline and oceans in the midst of a climate emergency. Sunderland held its first Ocean Action Conference where passionate individuals from all over the region came to share their stories of action and stewardship for local shores.
The event was a hub of marine experts, businesses and local change-makers who came together to discuss the challenges of ocean conservation and to also showcase the multitude of projects already underway, making positive changes to our coastlines.
Marsden Bay, Sunderland. Image courtesy of New Girl in Toon
SeaScapes is one of the projects driving development in the Tyne and Tees region. They are pushing to increase stewardship of the North East coast by creating new opportunities to understand and appreciate the marine environment - ultimately bettering the communities which live in these areas. The inclusion of local coastal communities within future ocean conservation plans was apparent throughout the whole event. The majority of projects had addressed how coastal communities are being placed in the centre of the narrative, which provides a great deal of hope for the growth of both the people and the environment in the North East.
Emily Cunningham opening the conference with her initiative #Motion4the Ocean. (Image courtesy of Emily Cunningham)
Co-organiser of the conference, Emily Cunningham, spoke about the #Motion4theOcean initiative, which she co-founded with Dr Pamela Buchan and Nicola Bridge. This initiative aims to change the thinking of local governments and to get them to acknowledge the climate emergency and the role the ocean plays in mediating its influence. There is a particular focus on protecting the oceans in local councils’ legislation and for more support for the coastal communities most impacted by the mistreatment of our seas. Whilst the South Tyneside council is one of the 14 nationwide councils that have passed this motion, Sunderland, Newcastle and North Tyneside councils have yet to sign up. Here is more information and how to ask your local council to pass the motion.
More inspired individuals shared their work including Georgia Bennett from the Spurn Seagrass Project, and Helen Hornby from Groundwork UK. Like many other organisations around the UK, the Spurn Seagrass Project aims to restore the marine environment to its former glory by replanting lost seagrass meadows and restoring native oyster populations to the once diverse marine and estuarine environments. This ongoing success story was echoed throughout the day in the many rewilding projects that were shared by speakers and attendees.
Helen from Groundwork UK spoke about the successes of the Revitalising Our Estuaries project ongoing in the region, with over 321 hectares of estuarine habitat restored alongside the creation of green jobs and training opportunities. She shared how the project was restoring lost estuarine environments by managing neglected areas and installing artificial structures such as ‘vertipools’ alongside the banks of rivers. These concrete installations create liveable spaces by retaining seawater when the tide goes out, providing a safe refuge for marine life in areas which previously were inhospitable. Alongside these, the installation of hanging shell curtains from docks, provides fish with a safe nursery ground in otherwise barren environments.
Alongside local initiatives, leading industry experts from the Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass and Rewilding Britain came to give updates on their recent successes and ongoing projects. It is clear that on the whole, the UK has not given up on conserving its marine environments, and projects up and down the country are making a difference. What’s more, the North East has shown that it is a powerhouse of motivated individuals, passionate about protecting their local shores.