Ruby, Youth Ambassador for the Sussex Underwater charity, dives into the “Minter Hotel project and the creation of artificial habitats for marine life.
Give nature space to breathe and it will return – that’s always been our ethos at Sussex Underwater, though sometimes a helping hand along the way doesn’t go amiss. Our charity has been working with conservation-minded local fishermen to undertake an exciting new project: The Minter Hotel, brainchild of Alan Minter. These hotels are not the plush kind – rather, 3.5 tonne concrete structures placed on the seabed to create an artificial habitat for marine life. With various holes, ledges and grates, the Minter Hotels offer a home to species such as crabs, lobsters, fish and molluscs, with safe places to lay their eggs.
Since the loss of 96% of the kelp in Sussex, marine species have suffered fewer places to shelter, hunt, breed and raise young. Kelp are large brown seaweeds, and in dense populations their tree-like structures create an underwater forest. Alongside other local rewilding endeavours such as the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, the Minter Hotels aim to re-establish healthy habitats so that our underwater ecosystem can flourish once again.
After a three-year battle with logistics and laws, the first new habitat was lowered into the water in May 2025. Just 11 days later, our team divers returned to check for any visitors and were amazed by what they discovered! On the structure’s surface, seaweeds and clusters of mussels had started to take hold. Spider crabs perched nearby while wrasse and shoals of pout darted in and out of the holes. Eric Smith, co-founder of Sussex Underwater, recalls his experience diving the Minter Hotel:
‘As I placed a fixed camera on the seabed to record the scene I felt a tap on the shoulder, Grant Pullen – another of our team who had been checking the perimeter – pointed to a large lobster walking towards the structure. She was a pregnant female (berried) carrying thousands of eggs tucked in underneath her, looking for a home to raise her brood. I must have made a movement as I turned the camera on, she shot into one of the holes that had been meticulously designed for her.
Giving her a few minutes I moved the camera to record her settling in and moving things around in her new home. A blenny who had made its home under the structure came out to watch his new neighbour. We left the lobster looking quite comfortable with her big claws blocking the entrance, protecting her babies from danger. Let’s hope she stays. It was more than we had hoped for, if nature could do that in 11 days, what can we expect in a year!’
The Minter Hotel is a fabulous example of a community coming together to preserve their local wildlife. Alan’s drive to restore the lost biodiversity of the Sussex coast has led to something really special, that’s already having a positive effect. Sussex Underwater’s mission is to share ‘glimmers of hope’ – positive stories of nature recovery to inspire the community to advocate for our local environment. Future plans for the Minter Hotel include interactive ways for the local community to monitor the underwater hotel visitors, and more habitats placed along the seabed in the following year!
Ruby Stothard
August 2025
