A new artificial reef installed at Shoreham Port is providing vital habitats for marine species – and a unique opportunity for University of Brighton researchers to study how life returns to restored coastal environments.
Designed to bring life back to the coastline, the Southwick Reef project – which officially launched yesterday, on 28 January 2026 – aims to transform a man-made harbour wall into a thriving marine ecosystem, creating new homes for diverse species, boosting biodiversity while inviting coastal communities to take part in conservation and learning.
Marine biodiversity worldwide faces mounting pressure. Global populations of marine species declined by almost half between 1970 and 2012. Coral reefs – which support a quarter of all marine life despite covering less than one per cent of the ocean – are projected to face widespread collapse by 2050. In the UK, an estimated 85% of seagrass meadows have disappeared since the 1920s.
Led by Shoreham Port with research from the University of Brighton, the landmark project will explore how the reef benefits both marine life and local communities. Before the reef’s installation, researchers from the University’s School of Applied Sciences carried out a baseline survey to record existing marine life, providing essential data for long-term monitoring as the ecosystem develops.
Large reef cubes, designed to withstand tidal forces, have now been installed along the shoreline, alongside living seawall tiles – textured panels that encourage marine organisms to attach and grow – and vertipools, mini rock pools built into vertical walls.
University of Brighton PhD researcher Isaac Doyle will monitor how marine species colonise the reef and test the potential for similar structures along the wider Sussex Bay coastline. His research aims to help the reef continue providing educational, recreational, and community value locally, while also offering a potential model for how other ports and harbours might combine biodiversity restoration with public engagement.
Over the next three years, Isaac will engage local participants – from surfers to wildlife enthusiasts – to understand how people interact with the reef, while also leading hands-on field visits for local schools and colleges to explore the shore at low tide, observe rock pools and other coastal habitats, and see how the reef is helping marine life return.
Isaac Doyle said: “Living seawalls and artificial reefs represent a new way of designing with nature, rather than against it. My research focuses on understanding how these structures evolve over time, how different species colonise them, and how we can design them to maximise biodiversity.”
“Beyond ecology, I’m also exploring how these interventions can provide educational and recreational opportunities, connecting local communities with their coastal environment and showing that science and design can work together to create lasting environmental benefits.”
Tom Willis, Chief Executive at Shoreham Port commented: “We are thrilled to have brought together such an inspiring group of local organisations to deliver this collaborative project. Southwick Reef underscores our shared ambition to enhance the marine environment whilst fostering greater community engagement in conservation and sustainability. We hope that Southwick Reef provides a further reason for people to visit the area, an attraction for parents and children to explore and a place to get students engaged in marine conservation”.
The work expands the University of Brighton’s expertise in tackling marine and freshwater challenges, building on research into fibreglass pollution from ageing boats and their discovery of alarming levels of microparticles in chalk streams such as the River Itchen. It reinforces the University’s mission to combine science, innovation, and community engagement in protecting our natural environments.
Through continued monitoring, research, and community involvement, the project partners aim to share their findings with other ports, harbours, and conservation groups, helping coastal communities everywhere take meaningful steps towards a healthier ocean future.
The project is led by Shoreham Port in collaboration with the University of Brighton, Adur and Worthing Councils, Brighton and Hove City Council, Sussex Bay and the Sussex Dolphin Project. It brings together engineers, ecologists, academics, and local partners with the shared goal of transforming the local marine environment, while creating a model that can be replicated at other ports and harbours in the UK and beyond.
The University’s contribution is led by the Centre for Environment and Society (CES), which conducts impact-driven, interdisciplinary research with regional, national and international partners to address pressing environmental, health and societal challenges.
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