Alexander Mustard/2020VISION
Seaweeds, including a canopy of spagetti seaweed (Himanthalia elongata) growing in a shallow channel. Cairns of Coll, Island of Coll, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. British Isles. North East Atlantic Ocean. Photographed in July 2011.
Give Seas a Chance
We have ten years to turn the tide or Yorkshire’s seas could fall silent forever
We dream of an abundant underwater world...
Yorkshire’s seas were once full of wildlife but due to decades of human neglect and harm, they are falling silent and empty. Our expert marine team are working against the clock to save, restore and enhance our beautiful, essential seas and incredible wildlife.
We've got the solutions. We just need you.
Help us turn the tide and give Yorkshire's seas a chance.
A young female grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) swims over kelp. Photographed in July. Farne Islands, Northumberland, England, British Isles. North Sea - Alexander Mustard/2020VISION
Working against the clock
A world of wonder amongst the waves
From the tops of our puffin-filled cliffs to the bottom of the seabed, the vast North Sea is one of Yorkshire’s great and most iconic landscapes.
Yorkshire’s coast and seas are home to breathtaking wildlife spectacles. From our soaring coastal clifftops where colourful puffins care for their young, to the foaming waves where playful dolphins leap, to the kelp forests and carbon-storing seagrass meadows, and down to the depths where ancient wonders like ocean quahogs live.
Tragically, our marine wildlife is a shadow of what it was 75 years ago. The carpet of oysters that lined the Humber Estuary are a distant memory, seabirds like kittiwakes are rapidly declining in numbers (40% since the 1970s), and a search along the seashore is now likely to uncover plastic bottle tops and tangled rope than pretty seashells.
But hope is not lost. We have the solutions needed to halt and reverse this decline now. With your help in another 75 years Yorkshire’s waters could once again be filled with giant wonders such as Atlantic bluefin tuna, myriads of colourful creatures covering our chalk reefs and a healthy, thriving marine environment which plays it part in protecting our climate.
We urgently need your help to turn the tide before it’s too late. Together, we can make the solutions a reality and ensure that 2021 is the turning point for marine wildlife. Give hope to our seas today.
You can turn the tide.
Meet the heroes of Yorkshire's seas
The North Sea is home to an amazing array of wildlife, from the centuries-old ocean quahog to the majestic humpback whales. Learn about some of Yorkshire's all-time marine heroes below!
What's the damage?
Every day, the shocking impact of human activity is eroding the irreplaceable wildlife and habitats found above and below the waves.
Our seas are filling with rubbish and pollution and being disrupted by development, while water temperatures are tipping out of control.
Our marine wildlife is struggling, and the reasons for this are manmade - exploitation, marine pollution and the climate emergency.
Flock of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) feeding in the wake of the pelagic trawler "Charisma." Shetland Isles. October 2011. - Chris Gomersall/2020VISION
We are at a turning point.
How can we give seas a chance?
Protecting and restoring our incredible seascapes for centuries to come isn’t easy, but it is possible and necessary.
By working with Yorkshire’s urban, rural and coastal communities, using cutting-edge science and partnering with other innovative organisations and experts, we can change the fate of our marine world. But every year, we have to raise over £75,000 to fund this vital and effective marine conservation work.
We've got the solutions at our fingertips - you can read about them below. You can help us make 2021 the year when our vital and irreplaceable marine wildlife begins the long but certain journey to full recovery.
Sunrise over sea and eroded chalk cliffs under bright autumnal sky at low tide along north east coastline along Flamborough Head in East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.
Time is running out for Yorkshire's seas...
“The seas around the UK are home to the most extraordinary wildlife. For too long we have taken from the sea with little regard for the consequences.
We are all aware of the problems presented by plastic litter, but some pollutants and impacts are hidden from view, beneath the surface of the waves. Our Government needs to tackle these problems but we can all do our bit too.”President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts
Donate £32
£32 could help train and equip citizen scientists to undertake critical whale and dolphin surveys
Donate £72
£72 could buy the trestles needed to reintroduce native oysters into our seas
Donate £207
£207 could support an education visit to help a group of school children learn more about marine wildlifeIf you would like to discuss making a larger gift please contact 01904 659570 or email fundraising@ywt.org.uk to arrange a call.
(C) Lucy McMahon
Seagrass and blue carbon capture at Spurn
Lucy McMahon (PhD Researcher at University of York, specialising in blue carbon habitats) shares her knowledge on seagrass and its carbon capturing capabilities.
Discover our marine work
Our expert marine team works tirelessly to restore and protect Yorkshire’s seas from the damaging effects of pollution, exploitation and the climate emergency.
- We run community projects to keep pollution out of our seas; running regular beach cleans and safely collecting waste before it can make it that far.
- We campaign for bigger and better-managed Marine Protected Areas, to give our seas and seabed the chance, time and space to restore and recover.
- We champion and restore Natural Climate Solutions like seagrass and oysters, to naturally clean our seas and trap carbon beneath the waves
- We recruit volunteers to survey the North Sea for whales, dolphins and porpoises – the more we know, the better we can protect our marine wildlife.
And finally...
Can you Give Seas a Chance by sharing our campaign on social media?
Thank you for your support!
