The Access Foundation has approved a £84,990 grant to support projects with the Marine Conservation Society, the UK’s leading marine charity.
The Marine Conservation Society was founded in 1977 by a group of scientists, divers, and environmentalists who were growing increasingly concerned about the degradation of marine habitats and their wildlife.
The charity’s vision is to support a sea full of life, where nature flourishes and people thrive. It has placed community involvement and educational outreach at its heart, and campaigns for the protection of marine environments. The charity works with communities, businesses, and governments to make a difference through social, political, and behavioral change.
The foundation grant will fund three projects, including the The One Ocean Roadshow programme, which works closely with coastal communities, offering free local activities to help people better understand the human impact on the ocean, improve the sustainable management of local marine heritage, and promote the health and wellbeing benefits of connecting with our ocean.
The report will also fund the annual Beachwatch Report, a vital piece of research relating to the state of beaches in the UK. The report gathers data collated by over 15,000 volunteers and 1,200 litter surveys, that help inform ocean pollution sources and developing trends that are used in evidence to push for change at the government level.
The grant also supports the Seasearch programme (diving for data), a project for recreational divers and snorkellers who want to help the marine environment by collecting information about habitats, plants, and animals that they see under the water.
The information collected by Seasearch volunteers helps those responsible for marine conservation identify what is unique about various locations, and what may be affecting them, enabling them to make informed decisions about protection or regulatory measures.
Seasearch records have already made a significant difference to how much we know about British and Irish marine life.
Over the next three years, the grant will enable a further 10,000 young people and community members to become involved, leading to increased ocean literacy. Additionally, the Beachwatch provides data which can be used in policy calls for stronger legislation on single-use plastics and other pollutants.
Finally, data captured by Seasearch volunteers is logged into a national database, which is used to assess the health of aquatic species and seabed habitats. Ultimately, these initiatives aim to empower people to act while improving their wellbeing.
