Some 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered by water and as more than 50 per cent of the world’s wildlife lives there it becomes increasingly important to provide a degree of protection for marine species.

Little has been done to date in providing any protection but with the constant campaigning that has been carried out over recent years, small inroads are at last being achieved.

Gratifyingly, the seahorse has now been added to the protected species list, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, dredging restrictions have been imposed on 60 square miles of Lyme Bay – still only some 10 per cent of the whole bay area – and marine reserves are planned at certain strategic points around our coasts.

Appropriately in this year of marine conservation progress, one of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s flagship nature reserves, the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve at Kimmeridge, celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The nature reserve, the UK’s longest established mainland marine reserve, stretches for eight miles along Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast, England’s first natural World Heritage Site.

DWT hosts regular events and activities throughout the year for all ages, including beach cleans, training sessions for potential marine wardens and investigatory surveys along the shores, such as the recent pink seafan ‘skeletons’ cast up on Chesil Beach. DWT’s people and wildlife officer, Julie Hatcher, based at the Fine Foundation Marine Centre at the heart of the reserve, says: “We have recently had new interpretation panels installed which focus on the urgent need for statuary marine reserves.

“These, and information on other conservation issues that regularly influence the marine environment, often adversely, are on display spelling out the importance of taking action to guard our seas.”

The marine centre has aquaria with many intriguing species and an underwater camera in the bay beaming back images.

The centre also has a new cuttlefish trail in Kimmeridge Bay, with the aim of encouraging spawning to try to reverse the decline of this species around our shores.

Julie Hatcher says: “Cuttlefish numbers have decreased in some areas over recent years and this initiative may help to redress the balance.”