The Celtic Seas surround the UK and north-western France. This area includes a wide range of habitats and is home to a spectacular array of wildlife, from whales, dolphins, sharks and seals to cold-water corals and slow-growing maerl beds. Some 23 million people live in and around the Celtic Seas, and many more across Europe depend on the area for their livelihoods and wellbeing.
But the Celtic Seas are getting busier, and this – along with climate change and pollution – is putting vital ecosystems under strain. If we want to continue to enjoy and benefit from the natural resources into the future, we need to work together to look after the marine environment, balancing social, economic and environmental issues.
We've led the Celtic Seas Partnership, an ambitious project which brings together scientists, governments and local communities to find new ways of managing the marine environment. The collaboration means we can work across national boundaries and sectors to address the big picture, taking the whole ecosystem into account.
The four year, €4 million project began in 2013 with funding from the EU. It’s been supported by all the national governments in the area, and has directly engaged with more than 1,000 people, empowering them to shape a more sustainable future for everybody – and, of course, for the Celtic Seas.