In addition to ongoing monitoring of ecosystem recovery, a major focus of 2023 is to
understand the impacts of suspended sediments on kelp survival and growth. This requires;
i) the establishment of a kelp culture and sediment toxicity test and ii) the marine deployment
of sensors to understand the spatial dynamics of suspended sediments, their associated
contaminants and their impacts on kelp survival and growth. Extrapolating results from our
laboratory testing to the marine environment requires a clear understanding of the genetic
sequencing of the kelp macroalgae in our near-shore environment.
UoS is establishing a kelp culture laboratory key to the research. This will enable the testing
of kelp cultures at various life stages to test for the impact of restrictions in light and exposure
to pollutants within suspended sediments on kelp growth and development. The UoS onsite
capacity to culture kelp, in addition to supporting the ecotoxicology testing, provides the
potential to supply local kelp varieties for kelp farming and restoration initiatives. The in-house facility will reduce costs, risk and enable support for kelp-related restoration and business
start-ups for Southern England.
