David Attenborough: Save Sussex's magical kelp forests

Sir David Attenborough is supporting a campaign to help save an important marine habitat.

Kelp forests off the West Sussex coast are among the most biodiverse environments on the planet, but they have been damaged by changing fishing habits and the dumping of sediment on the seafloor.

Kelp is also important in reducing the impact of climate change. According to one estimate, globally it can absorb about 600 million tonnes of carbon a year, twice as much as UK emits annually.

Sir David has backed an initiative by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority to introduce an inshore trawler exclusion zone to help the kelp regenerate.

See more on Inside Out South on BBC One in the south of England on Monday September 30 at 19:30 GMT and on the BBC iPlayer here.