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.
New research provides one of the first documented cases of a marine heatwave undermining restoration efforts at a site in Northern Europe. Forecasting extreme weather events will be essential to the success of future marine restoration efforts and Ocean recovery. A marine heatwave has undermined the success of
The first large-scale analysis of its kind estimates that at least 18 million people living in poverty across the Indo-Pacific fish in seagrass meadows. Around 6.5 million may depend entirely on these overlooked habitats for fishing and subsistence. Researchers warn that seagrass decline could deepen hunger, economic insecurity, and inequality
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
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
A new collaborative research project between Murdoch University and Walailak University (WU) aims to restore seagrass meadows in Thailand using 3D-printed pods made from bioplastics. The seagrass meadows around Koh Lidi, a pair of islands inside Mu Ko Phetra National Park in Satun Province, are a nursery for shrimp, crabs,
Seagrasses are among the most important foundation species in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life, stabilising sediments, and helping improve water quality. Yet nearly 20% of the world’s historic seagrass cover has been lost, and efforts to restore these vital underwater meadows often face significant challenges. In Florida’s Indian
Are you an early-career researcher interested in seagrass conservation, people–nature relationships, and the future of coastal sustainability? Project Seagrass is keen to hear from potential applicants to the 2026 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships programme. We welcome ideas spanning climate resilience, restoration ecology, water quality, biodiversity, blue carbon, genetics and connectivity,
This summer, members of the Project Seagrass team were on the Isle of Wight as part of our annual seagrass seed collection efforts: Seed Collections This year, our seagrass seed collections on the Isle of Wight took place in Yarmouth and Ryde. Seeds were collected through a combination of SCUBA
Between 2022 and 2025, the Seagrass Ocean Rescue: Solent project brought together scientists, practitioners, stakeholders, and local communities to explore the potential for seagrass restoration and conservation across the Solent. Funded by WWF and delivered in partnership with Project Seagrass, Swansea University, and Liz Earle, the project laid critical foundations
New study shows coastal users can provide valuable insights that strengthen restoration planning and long-term project success Fishers and anglers possess valuable local knowledge that can help identify suitable locations for seagrass restoration, new research published by Project Seagrass shows. The study, conducted along the South Wales coastline, found that
The theme of the 2024 World Ocean Day is catalyzing action for our ocean and climate. This recognises the fact that the health of the marine environment, including our globally declining seagrass meadows, requires significantly stronger local, national, and international action from both government and corporate leaders. In this article
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
