Bio-bead pollution at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve - Sussex Wildlife Trust

Our monitoring has revealed bio-bead pollution in the saltmarsh at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Bio-beads are tiny black plastic pellets that are used in wastewater treatment and have been released along the East Sussex coast following a failure at a Southern Water Wastewater Treatment Works in Eastbourne. 

This incident could have a devastating impact on the fragile saltmarsh habitat and its wildlife. The clean-up of this sensitive habitat will be complicated and needs to be carefully planned. We need to fully understand the extent to which the pollution has affected the reserve. Sussex Wildlife Trust is seeking advice from the Environment Agency, to ensure that this pollution incident is handled correctly to mitigate any further damage.