It is a pleasure to welcome Ella Garrud back to our Events Programme after her previous contribution in November 2020, early on in her work with Sussex Wildlife Trust. Since then, there have been significant developments in marine conservation and restoration along the Sussex coast, and Ella will bring us up to date with some of them in this presentation. 

Ella is Living Seas Officer and Wild Coast Sussex Project Manager at Sussex Wildlife Trust, where she has worked since 2020. She has an MSc in Marine Environmental Management and uses her understanding of marine ecosystems and the threats they face to inform her work advocating for the conservation of marine life in Sussex. Her experience in environmental education and awareness efforts is used to engage with various demographics in creative ways through her work managing the Wild Coast Sussex project, to improve ocean literacy and increase coastal connection in our local communities. She was recently a member of the Steering Group for The Ocean Symposium 2023 held in Bexhill under the auspices of the UNA Climate and Oceans organisation.