Always on
This project successfully funded on 1st November 2023, you can still support them with a donation.
Sussex Dolphin Project
Brighton, United Kingdom
Aim
Help us to conserve and protect dolphins and porpoises off the Sussex Coast through research, awareness and education in the local community
The presence of dolphins and porpoises off the Sussex coast is something that many local people still do not know about, and the apathy towards the local coast has led to the degradation of the ecosystem being vastly overlooked.
While people are focused on protecting the coral reefs and lagoons of the tropics, the temperate waters of the Eastern English Channel are home to some of the most charismatic animals on the planet.
At Sussex Dolphin Project we believe that these animals are worth celebrating and protecting, and we are working to learn all we can to understand their populations, social interactions and areas of high importance to better protect these intelligent and important marine mammals.
We need additional funding to cover the costs of running the Sussex Dolphin Project, allowing us to continue our vital work, inspiring the local community to begin their journey in local marine conservation, protecting the local environment for the amazing dolphins and porpoises we are only just beginning to understand.
We currently have three main programmes within our organisation:
Research - Our research programme works closely with the local coastal community to collect distribution and abundance data to allow us to better understand these amazing animals. We research threats to our local cetacean populations and work to understand how these are impacting local populations, as well as mitigation measures to try to reduce the threats from human activities.
Awareness - There is a serious disconnect between many local people and their coastline, with the waters off the Sussex coast now known more for their pollution levels than the fantastic marine life. We aim to raise awareness of the dolphins and porpoises living off our coast, to engage local people with local marine conservation. We also raise awareness of the threats to local dolphins and porpoises to increase public support for the protection of these animals along the south coast, for example our Dolphins aren't Discard campaign working with the WCA has received the support of over 130,000 people, urging the government to protect our dolphins and porpoises from bycatch in supertrawler nets.
Education - We run workshops and assemblies with local schools, colleges, and adult groups, teaching local people about the amazing marine life we have in Sussex, why it is important, and how we can protect it. We also run affordable training courses for local people interested in learning how to research and study cetaceans, without having to pay expensive fees for volunteering abroad.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made