Keeping you up to date with Project Seagrass news and views with a mixture of field notes and commentary on seagrass and marine conservation topics.
A new global analysis finds that many of the world’s most threatened seagrass meadows lie within designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of current protections for coastal habitats and offering a chance opportunity to rethink global ocean conservation. The study, led by a team of
For millennia, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Savannas and forests are often thought of as the cradle of our lineage, but beneath the waves, a habitat exists that has quietly supported humans for over 180,000 years. Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans migrated along coasts, avoiding desert and tundra. So, as Homo spread from
During the 2020-21 academic year Project Seagrass welcomed Emma Butterworth to undertake an internship. In our Q&A, Emma shares her experiences of her internship with Project Seagrass and discusses what she has gone on to do next. Who/What inspired you to apply for an internship at Project Seagrass? It all
During the 2021-22 academic year Project Seagrass welcomed Ellie Postlethwaite to undertake an internship. In our Q&A, Ellie shares her experiences of her internship with Project Seagrass and discusses what she has gone on to do next. Who/What inspired you to apply for an internship at Project Seagrass? As a
Published in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management, the research set out to establish the value of local ecological knowledge (LEK) and its ability to generate high-quality habitat maps around five Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Ten fishermen, based on their individual experience and knowledge, were asked to pinpoint areas
To protect and restore seagrass, we need reliable maps showing where seagrass is growing and how this is changing over time. Global seagrass distribution and status is difficult to map and monitor, largely due to its widespread distribution and the relatively limited scientific resources focused on seagrass. Mapping work to
During the 2021-22 academic year Project Seagrass welcomed Lowri O’Neill to undertake an internship. In our Q&A, Lowri shares her experiences of her internship with Project Seagrass and discusses what she has gone on to do next. Who/What inspired you to apply for an internship at Project Seagrass? My lecturer,
Seagrass meadows and their elusive inhabitants, dugongs, are under threat across Asia. To tackle this, conservation experts, policymakers, and researchers from across the region gathered in Bangkok in February 2025 for the First Asian Regional Dialogue on Seagrass and Dugong Conservation. The goal? To find real, actionable solutions to the challenges
Between the 8th and 10th April 2025, Project Seagrass will join other scientists and conservation professionals in Arcachon, France for the 2nd European Seagrass Restoration Workshop. Hosted by The Seagrass Consortium the workshop follows on from the inaugural workshop held in Portinho da Arrábida, Portugal in 2010. The 2025 workshop
This article was originally published on Dialogue Earth under the Creative Commons BY NC ND licence. The author is Siripannee Supratya. Siripannee Supratya (Noina) is a Thai journalist focusing on the environment, science, laws and socio-political happenings. In addition to her journalism work, she is a creative communicator and a professional diver. She is on
Seagrasses, foundational species in coastal ecosystems worldwide, are surprisingly few in documented diversity—with only about 70 species identified globally, despite their widespread distribution and ecological importance. Complicating matters, their high phenotypic plasticity within species makes precise classification challenging. Against this backdrop, a research team led by Prof. Zhou Yi from
The Project Seagrass team have had another busy summer of seagrass seed collections! This year collections took place in Yarmouth, Ryde, and Bembridge on the Isle of Wight in the Solent, and in Porthdinllaen in North Wales. Find out more about how this summer’s collections went: Solent Seed Collection |
Dr Richard Unsworth, Chief Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass, along with 35 other leading scientists from across the UK, responds to proposals from the UK government to make licensing for marine restoration more complex and costly. Dear Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP and team, This letter sets out our
Last month marked the opening of a newly constructed laboratory facility at Project Seagrass’ headquarters in Bridgend, South Wales. Project Seagrass CEO Leanne Cullen-Unsworth said: “We’re delighted to be able to launch this fantastic new facility within our existing working space in Bridgend. Thanks to generous support from funders who
July 2025 Emily Yates, Seagrass Nursery Lead Introduction It’s that time of year when the sun is shining and seagrass meadows around the UK are filled with flowering shoots, laden with maturing seeds. Much of July has been dominated by seagrass seed collection fieldwork and preparing for the seeds to
Earlier this year, Project Seagrass welcomed Rhys Bowen to the team to support our work in North Wales as part of the Seagrass Ocean Rescue North Wales programme. This follows on from Rhys’ involvement in the programme during 2024 where we worked as one of the Marine Futures Interns at
