A Blueprint for Seascape Recovery

The statutory scope of the LNRS is to mean low water (MLW) which means marine habitats and species are technically out of its scope. 

Representing coastal counties however, the Sussex Nature Recovery team recognise the huge importance of our marine environment and the pressures on it, and so they have been working with Sussex Bay and the marine recovery sector to develop a Sussex Seascape strategy (‘The Blueprint’) to identify priority marine habitats and species and agree recovery actions.  This has involved planning and facilitating three Blueprint workshop alongside the Sussex Bay team. 

Once published, the Blueprint can act as a voluntary marine extension to both Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

The Blueprint's focus on coastal as well as marine means it overlaps with the LNRS. Unlike the statutory LNRS however, the Blueprint is a voluntary process which means its scope is less limited and it can go beyond habitat enhancement and creation to include other types of actions. 

Below: Illustration of the geographical scope of the LNRS and the relationship with the marine environment

A third Blueprint workshop took place on the 19th May 2026 

This saw over 30 representatives from twenty organisations including marine regulators and licensing bodies, environmental NGOs, local authorities, and academics reflect on over 100 actions for marine and coastal habitats and species that had been refined, located, allocated and prioritised.  

Actions included those for active restoration, advocacy, research and creating the enabling conditions, and have been organised into 15 priority areas (shown above), including the cross-cutting themes of water quality, management of marine protected areas, offshore wind & nature-inclusive design, and community participation, access and ocean literacy. 

Workshop attendees were asked to reflect on the actions developed and to consider how we can get closer to the development of projects that can enable delivery and unlock funding. The event also showcased the work of stakeholders in neighbouring counties to show alignment with their developing strategies, such as the Solent Seascape Project's Solent Seascape Recovery Plan.

Next steps

The Blueprint is due to be published in Autumn 2026. To read the output of the first workshop and for updates on the Blueprint's progress, check the Sussex Bay website.