Guardians of the Deep – The project’s beginnings

So, what's it all about?

The vision behind Guardians of the Deep is simple: by the end of 2019 we aim to have a self-sustaining network of people all around the Kent coast who are looking after it, using it as a teaching tool, and appreciating it for the unique resource it is.

We’re working to achieve these goals through five different areas:

1. WildBeach
2. Undersea Explorers
3. Coastal Connections
4. Coastal Guardians
5. Coastal Citizen Science

WildBeach and Undersea Explorers are all about engaging children with marine wildlife and the underwater world. We use the beach or shore as a teaching resource for WildBeach and swimming pools for Undersea Explorers. They will get taught snorkel skills and why our Marine Conservation Zones are so important to the future of our oceans, whilst having fun in the environment they are learning about.

Coastal Connections focuses on connecting those who are further away from the coast with it. Throughout the project we will be running free family events on the coast, our Wish Fish will come with us to events, allowing people to make pledges to help the marine environment. We are creating a ‘woolly watery world’ from donated knitted and crocheted plants and animals. You can join in by downloading our latest knitting patterns here.

Coastal Guardians are our eyes and ears on the coast. Through a special training session, we equip anyone who wants to get involved with the necessary skills to report any information they are gathering from regular visits to the coast.

Coastal Citizen Science allows anyone interested to get involved with scientific studies around the Kent coast. The most common one of these is Shoresearch, a survey which monitors the diversity and distribution of plants and animals on our shores. But there are other things, such as litter surveys, invasive species control, and juvenile fish studies which people are able to get involved in.