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.
Seagrass meadows have an important climate protection function due to their long-term carbon storage potential. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) has now been able to show that seagrass beds have a stronger influence on the carbon and sulfur cycling in
A major global study using teabags as a measuring device shows warming temperatures may reduce the amount of carbon stored in wetlands. The international team of scientists buried 19,000 bags of green tea and rooibos in 180 wetlands across 28 countries to measure the ability for wetlands to hold carbon
The tropical coastlines of Southeast Asia are home to some of the most important and biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. However, they are also among its most vulnerable, with areas of coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds under increasing threat from a wide range of human activities. To
In autumn 2024, Teigan joined the teams at Project Seagrass and Swansea University to undertake a PhD exploring the influence of water quality on greenhouse gas emissions from seagrass. Teigan’s PhD forms part of Accelerate Seagrass, a collaborative program with Climate Impact Partners, Deloitte, and the National Oceanography Centre to
Seagrass Restoration Efforts to restore seagrass marine habitat at our two restoration sites on the Isle of Wight began in March and April this year under the Solent Seascape Project. A total of 132,000 seeds and 2,160 transplants have been planted across the two sites. There are plans to continue this
Following scientific trials in 2019, in 2020 many seagrass seeds were planted in Dale, supported by the community, school children and local organisations. Since planting, the seagrass area has been reseeded several times to infill gaps and support it as it develops. Despite some setbacks, the restoration area is now
Restoration Forth aims to restore seagrass meadows and native oysters into the Firth of Forth, to create a healthier coastline for people and nature. Find out more about the project here. We’ve reached 30,000 oysters! October was a busy month for the Restoration Forth oyster team. We had an absolutely
In September 2024, Project Segrass welcomed Finn, Grace, and Heather as our interns for the 2024-25 academic year. Finn and Heather have joined us as interns from the University of St Andrew’s and Grace has joined us from Swansea University. In this interview Finn, Grace, and Heather share their experiences
In 2024, Project Seagrass launched a new Fragment Walk initiative on the Isle of Wight to support community-based seagrass restoration as part of our work in the Solent. Seagrass Fragments Seagrass meadows are sensitive habitats which can be easily uprooted. As a result of storms or other disturbances, fragments of
Two new studies call for clear framework conditions for CO2 sequestration in coastal areas, including a digital twin for projections and an independent body for certification and new legal structures for monitoring. The two papers led by researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon were recently published in Environmental Research Letters and Elementa. So-called “blue carbon ecosystems”
This year’s World Environment Day campaign focuses on land restoration, under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.” Loss and degradation of coastal marine ecosystems, compromise the delivery of important ecosystem services to human society. Yet turning the tide on these losses and working towards a net gain
Read our Project Leads’ fieldwork notes from May: Solent Fieldwork (Anouska Mendzil, Solent Lead) Solent fieldwork update: Day 1 Myself and Manning arrived to the Isle of Wight around 14:00 and met Becky. We had an afternoon of preparation including labelling pins and mini-buoys, sorting kit, sorting data forms and
Thanks to the support of local volunteers and landowners Stena Line, 50,000 seagrass seeds were planted last month at sites near Holyhead, covering an area of 150 m2. The planting followed on from a successful stakeholder engagement session held at Holyhead Sailing Club in March 2024, which was attended by
Swimming through the crystal clear waters of the Maldives, a nation renowned for its marine life, it could be easy to forget that these delicate ecosystems stand on the frontline of climate change and that seagrass habitats are in crisis globally. Now, my research, which combined hundreds of hours of fieldwork with thousands of satellite
New research demonstrates that seagrass habitat restoration can be enhanced by including other grasses in addition to the declining or lost species and – ultimately – that restoration efforts must proactively select species that can withstand current and intensifying stressors driven by human activities and climate change. Rising global temperatures
The World Seagrass Association Inc. invites expressions of interest from members and interested organisations/institutions who would like to host the 16th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW) in 2026. The International Seagrass Biology Workshop series is a meeting of research scientists, students and coastal environment managers focusing on global seagrass issues,
