Marine Stewardship Fund

The Crown Estate is the largest marine land owner and is responsible for about half the UK’s foreshore and virtually all the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile limit and beyond. It leases the seabed for many uses such as marine aggregate dredging and offshore wind and renewables projects.

Wessex Archaeology Coastal & Marine interacts frequently with The Crown Estate when assessing archaeological potential and possible impacts for proposed marine development, and helps deliver mitigation through the various marine industry protocols. Their Marine Stewardship Fund is a great asset in supporting elements of this work such as the ORPAD (Offshore Renewables Protocol for Archaeological Discoveries), SAMPHIRE (Scottish Atlantic Maritime Past: Heritage, Investigation, Research & Education) and the Marine Aggregate Dredging Industry Protocol and its awareness programme.