On England’s south coast, the Solent was once home to a thriving coastal ecosystems. Today, it’s facing an ecological crisis. Over the past century, the UK has lost 90% of its seagrass meadows. The Solent, one of the most heavily used waterways in the country, supports a population of 1.5 million people and sees over 75,000 shipping movements each year. Centuries of pollution, habitat loss, and coastal squeeze have taken a serious toll.

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Now, a ten-year restoration effort, part of one of the largest coastal rewilding projects in the world, is underway. Led by Project Seagrass, the Solent Seascape Project, Blue Marine Foundation, WWF UK, and others, this initiative aims to bring life back to this vital habitat.

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This is a deeply personal story for me. I was raised along the shores of the Solent; its tides shaped my childhood. Over the next few years, I’ll be following this important and timely journey as conservation, science, and community come together to restore the Solent’s seagrass meadows, native oyster beds, salt marshes, and ground-nesting bird habitats.

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This is a project made up of many stories. These quiet but extraordinary efforts won’t go unseen because if we don’t tell the ocean’s stories, they’ll remain silent.