Mapping Indonesian seagrass quality to target blue carbon conservation
Not all of Indonesia’s seagrass meadows are faring alike. A study has revealed substantial spatial differences in the condition of 21 seagrass meadows across central and eastern Indonesia, providing a clearer picture of where ecosystems are thriving (hotspots), under stress (coldspots) or undergoing ecological change (outliers). But why does this matter? Indonesia, a global seagrass hotspot, is home to more than 660,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) of seagrass meadows that provide habitat for marine life, support fisheries, store carbon and protect coastlines. However, these ecosystems face growing pressures from human activities and environmental change, while their ecological condition can vary considerably across the country’s diverse coastal regions. Assessing these differences remains challenging, particularly where long-term monitoring data are limited. To address this shortcoming, a team of researchers from several Indonesian institutions, led by Rohani Ambo-Rappe, a professor in the Department of Marine Science at Hasanuddin University, quantified the Seagrass Ecological Quality Index (SEQI). The framework integrates key biophysical and environmental indicators to provide a detailed spatial assessment of seagrass ecological quality across central and eastern Indonesia, helping identify areas where conservation or restoration efforts could be prioritized. Their work was published in Science of The Total Environment. Graphical abstract. Credit: Science of The Total Environment Building a spatial quality index “We developed the SEQI framework using five ecological indicators, including seagrass species richness, seagrass cover, water clarity, macroalgae cover, and epiphyte cover,” Ambo-Rappe said. “We combined the index with spatial and multivariate analyses to understand how ecological conditions varied among sites.” The assessment revealed substantial variation in seagrass condition, with SEQI values ranging from 0.39 to 0.88. Some of the highest values were recorded at Pasi-Gusung, Parak and Maharayya, where seagrass meadows had high species richness, relatively extensive cover and clear water. In contrast, Lae-Lae recorded the lowest SEQI value, reflecting very low seagrass cover and species richness, alongside reduced water clarity. The researchers found that these differences were not randomly distributed. In central Indonesia, seagrass ecological quality formed a spatial mosaic of hotspots, coldspots and ecological outliers. Hotspots, coldspots and refuges High-quality “hotspots” were identified at sites including Pasi-Gusung, Liukangloe, Maharayya and Parak, where healthy conditions were reinforced by similarly healthy surrounding areas. Such locations can benefit from conservation to maintain existing ecological resilience. In contrast, several locations identified as “coldspots” were characterized by degraded ecosystems. These areas included Sekotong, Lanjukang, Badi-Alami, Badi-Restorasi, Waboela and Lapandewa, where restoration or measures to reduce environmental pressures may be particularly important. The analysis also revealed sites with contrasting conditions relative to their surroundings, identified as spatial “outliers.” Areas such as Bone Batang and Barrang Lompo contained relatively healthy ecosystems within less healthy surroundings, potentially making them vulnerable ecological refugia requiring protection. Meanwhile, Lae-Lae and Bonto Bahari represented degraded sites embedded within healthier seagrass systems, suggesting opportunities for targeted restoration. Guiding protection and restoration Seagrass conservation policies cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. This unique ecological mosaic of seagrass meadows in Indonesia, a patchwork of ecological conditions, highlights the importance of considering spatial context when managing seagrass ecosystems. Rather than treating each meadow in isolation, identifying ecological clusters and outliers can help conservation practitioners pinpoint where protection, restoration or targeted interventions could have the greatest impact. By identifying healthy seagrass ecosystems that can be prioritized for conservation and degraded areas where targeted restoration may be needed, the research can help inform efforts to protect marine biodiversity and strengthen the role of seagrass meadows as blue carbon reservoirs. These findings also advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Collectively, the findings offer a practical basis for prioritizing conservation and restoration efforts. “Our study provides a spatially informed framework to identify areas to protect, restore or buffer. It can guide actionable conservation priorities before further degradation makes recovery more difficult,” Ambo-Rappe said. Publication Details Rohani Ambo-Rappe et al, Spatial–multivariate modelling of seagrass ecological quality index (SEQI) in Central to Eastern Indonesia, Science of The Total Environment (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181904 More information: This article is republished from Phys.org and was provided by Hasanuddin University.
Project Seagrass recognised as an Independent Research Organisation
Project Seagrass has been granted Independent Research Organisation status. This is an important milestone for Project Seagrass, but more importantly, it is a milestone for seagrass science. Since 2013, Project Seagrass has worked tirelessly to build a different kind of conservation organisation. One that is rooted in science, grounded in communities, and focused on turning evidence into action. Over more than a decade, we, alongside others, have helped move seagrass from the margins of marine conservation into global conversations about biodiversity, fisheries, climate, food security, and Ocean recovery. That work has now been recognised by UKRI through our status as an Independent Research Organisation. Independent Research Organisation status places Project Seagrass within an important group of UK research bodies that are recognised for their capacity to lead, manage, and deliver high-quality research. This includes all of the UK’s universities, and many of the UK’s most respected science-based museums, institutes, charities, and public bodies. For us, this recognition speaks to the foundations of how we work. Project Seagrass has always been more than a delivery organisation. We are a research-active charity. We ask difficult questions, publish our findings, share our data, collaborate internationally, and use evidence to shape better decisions for seagrass meadows and the people who depend on them. Since our founding in 2013, our team and collaborators have published nearly 120 academic articles that have been cited nearly 6,000 times. Behind those numbers is a larger story of a charity choosing to take research seriously, building credibility over time, and showing that world-class science does not only happen within universities. Our work has helped advance understanding of how seagrass meadows support fisheries, sustain biodiversity, contribute to livelihoods, and shape coastal futures. It has also helped show that seagrass conservation is not only an ecological challenge and requires social-ecological thinking. Seagrass recovery needs more than enthusiasm. It needs evidence, it needs integrity and it needs long-term thinking. Fundamentally, it needs organisations that can move carefully between science, policy, practice, and community action without losing sight of the standards that make research and action legitimate, trustworthy, and credible to the people funding work. Independent Research Organisation status strengthens our ability to do that. IRO status means that Project Seagrass is recognised as having the capacity to lead and host research in its own right. It opens new opportunities to work with researchers, funders, institutions, and partners across the UK and internationally. It gives us a stronger platform to develop the next generation of seagrass science, from social-ecological systems research and restoration evidence to coastal livelihoods, policy innovation, food security, and community-led monitoring. It also creates new opportunities for researchers who want to work with us. Project Seagrass can now sit more clearly within the UK, European, and Global research landscape as a host and collaborator for ambitious, applied, interdisciplinary seagrass research. We want to use this status to strengthen the quality, transparency, and impact of seagrass research. We want to support research that is open, useful, and accountable. We want to build partnerships that respect local knowledge as well as academic expertise. We want to create evidence that helps governments, communities, practitioners, and funders make better decisions. Most of all, we want to show that conservation organisations can be serious research institutions while remaining close to the places, people, and ecosystems they serve. Seagrass meadows are still among the most overlooked ecosystems on the planet, and their recovery will require bold policy, practical action, and high-integrity science. Project Seagrass was founded to help make that happen. Independent Research Organisation status gives us a stronger foundation for the next phase of that mission.