The Sussex And The City Podcast

– Episode #37

Can Dolphins Be A Symbol Of A Prosperous Future Sussex?

Host: Richard Freeman

Guest: Lloyd Gofton – Director, Sussex Dolphin Project

🔍 Episode summary

Richard is joined by Lloyd Gofton, ocean communications specialist, conservation leader and Director of the Sussex Dolphin Project.

Together they explore how dolphins have become more than a remarkable coastal sighting, but instead emerging instead as a symbol of a future Sussex that is environmentally ambitious, science-led and ready to place its natural assets at the heart of its identity and growth.

With more than 25 years’ experience in communications, Lloyd began his career in PR, marketing and digital strategy, running his own agency for over a decade and working with global brands and NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace, RSPCA and Médecins Sans Frontières. A mid-career shift into conservation saw him move from corporate storytelling to environmental campaigning, later working with Wildlife Heritage Areas, Conservation Careers and Blue Planet Society.

In Sussex, he is best known as one of the driving forces behind the Sussex Dolphin Project. Since 2018, the volunteer-led initiative has gathered vital data on dolphins, whales and porpoises in the eastern English Channel – an area long overlooked in formal marine research.

What began as a mission to prove cetaceans are present off the Sussex coast has grown into a pan-Sussex citizen science movement spanning Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings and beyond. Pods of up to 500 dolphins, humpback whale sightings and thousands of public reports are reshaping how residents see their own coastline.

Dolphins, Lloyd explains, are the “gateway species” to ocean literacy – a compelling hook that draws people into wider questions about biodiversity, protection and our relationship with the sea.

As Sussex considers devolution and a new era of regional identity, this episode asks whether the ocean could move from backdrop to centre stage; as science, skills, wellbeing and sustainable economic opportunity.

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with Newhaven Enterprise Zone.

Newhaven Enterprise Zone’s mission is to transform Newhaven into a thriving and dynamic business destination by 2030, with a repurposed town centre designed to support growth sectors and boost the economy.

Its investment plan includes seven key initiatives, including targeted grant programmes to drive productivity, business growth and inward investment – helping to create sustainable, inclusive jobs that benefit the whole community.

For the wider Sussex economy, this signals a shift towards higher value employment, stronger skills pipelines and enterprise rooted firmly in place. Newhaven Enterprise Zone is working to ensure Sussex leads rather than follows.

Find out more at newhavenenterprisezone.com

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🎯 Why this matters

The English Channel is often framed as a shipping corridor. In reality, it is a biodiverse and globally significant marine environment.

Citizen science projects like the Sussex Dolphin Project are turning community curiosity into usable research data, and local pride into conservation action.

As devolution conversations focus on housing, transport and economic growth, this episode highlights the strategic importance of natural capital, eco-tourism, marine research and environmental identity in shaping Sussex’s long-term direction.

If Sussex wants a distinctive regional narrative, the sea may be one of its strongest and most unifying assets.

🧠 Topics covered include:

Lloyd’s shift from corporate communications to ocean conservation The role of the National Oceanography Centre in global climate science Why dolphins are the “gateway species” to ocean literacy How citizen science strengthens marine research The evidence for whales and dolphins in the eastern English Channel Building protection through data and storytelling Balancing eco-tourism with conservation ethics Regional identity and the politics of devolution How Sussex could position itself as a marine innovation leader

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🎧 Production credits

Host: Richard Freeman Guest: Lloyd Gofton Sound design / editing / original music: Chris Thorpe-Tracey Production management: Letitia McConalogue

📣 Get involved

Have you spotted dolphins off the Sussex coast? Should marine conservation sit at the heart of Sussex’s devolved future?

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