Discover the incredible diversity of life within our seas and learn how we can all play a role in protecting and conserving it.
Our seas are home to an abundance of fascinating creatures and stunning habitats. From spectacular kelp forests to intricate rocky reefs and from mud plains to open ocean, the British Isles have a diversity of marine ecosystems that rival those seen on any nature documentary. Yet, for generations, we have been slowly suffocating life beneath the waves. Decades of unsustainable exploitation, endless pollution and a warming climate have had a devastating effect on our marine habitats.
However, it's not too late to make a difference and change course. Written in collaboration with the Wildlife Trusts, Britain's Living Seas provides a user-friendly and richly illustrated guide to coasts around the British Isles, uncovering the diversity of life within a range of marine habitats and the life-giving services that they provide us. Outlining how their very existence is under threat, marine biological Hannah Rudd presents an alternative and sustainable future for the management of our seas.
We can all do our bit as individuals too. Through practical steps such as re-thinking what we eat, our relationship with plastic and how we spend our money, we can become marine conservationists in our everyday lives and help to create a healthier future for our oceans. Everyone can discover more about the wonders within the waters that surround us and play a part in rebuilding our connection with the natural world.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Living Seas
- Beautiful Beaches and Spectacular Strandlines
- Sleek Sand Dunes
- Magnificent Maritime Cliffs
- Special Saltmarsh and Miraculous Mudflats
- Cool Cold-water Corals
- Enchanted Kelp Forests
- Striking Seagrass
- Rockin' Rocky Reefs
- Silky Sand and Gritty Gravel
- Marvellous Mud
- Bountiful Biogenic Reefs
- Boundless Pelagic
- The Bountiful Blue
Chapter 2: Ocean of Life
- Regulating the World
- Culture Crafters
- Providing for Society
- Supporting Seas
Chapter 3: The Threatened Blue
- A Changing Climate
- A Polluted Planet
- Losing the Wild Ocean
- No More Fish for the Table?
- Trading Marine Wildlife
- Deep-Sea Mining
- Mending a Collapsing World
Chapter 4: Sustainable Seas
- Nature-based Solutions
- Marine Protected Areas
- Tackling the Plastic Tide
- Sustainable Fisheries
- Marine Planning
- Let's Get Social
- Paving the Way for Sustainable Seas
Chapter 5: Be An Everyday Marine Conservationist
- Fish Are Friends, But Also Food
- Battling the Climate Crisis
- Plastic is Not So Fantastic
- Conscious Consumption
- Out and About
- You Are More Than a Drop in the Ocean
Chapter 6: Discover Your Coastline
- Remember the Seashore Code
- Sun, Sea, Sand and Sport
- Mini Adventurers
- Become a Citizen Scientist
- Dive into Nature: Where to Visit
Hannah Rudd is a marine biologist and writer specialising in shark science. Growing up on the Essex coast, she has always been infatuated with the sea, and currently works with recreational anglers in the UK gathering data on UK shark species through the collaborative group Shark Hub UK. Hannah has also been active in marine conservation overseas, with extended periods of work based in the Maldives and South Africa.