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.
My name is Lowri O’Neill, a 20 year-old marine biology student studying at Swansea University. Ever since I can remember, I have always been obsessed with the ocean. As a toddler, I would watch Finding Nemo constantly all day, every day and would kick up a fuss if my parents
By Elise Simone de Tourtoulon-Adams A huge thank you to all of our supporters who helped us successfully raise more than £9,000 in the Aviva Community Fund to go towards developing this nursery.
By Elise Simone de Tourtoulon-AdamsIf you would like to donate to support the nursery please head to: https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/seagrass-nursery. Every donation helps and Aviva are currently matching your donation up to £50!
By Jenny Black The Carbon Cycle It is likely that we have all heard of carbon but what might not be known is the fundamental role it plays in our ecosystems. Carbon will naturally move between the atmosphere and the earth’s surface through interactions between organisms and ecosystems in a
A few weeks ago part one of the UN Biodiversity Conference (aka COP15) took place in Kunming, China. Whilst all eyes are on the UN Climate Conference set to take place in Glasgow, UK next week, we must not forget the vital role that biodiversity plays in our planets health.
Project Seagrass are embarking on a journey to build a seagrass nursery. This is no small feat and so we have enlisted the help of our new seagrass aquarist, Elise. Elise will be bringing you honest updates each month on how this journey is progressing. This is the start of
Eight years ago sat on a roof top café at Swansea University we ambitiously set up a small marine conservation organisation called Project Seagrass. Swansea has always seemed a fitting place for Project Seagrass to start. After all it was deemed the ‘lovely ugly town’ by its most famous son,
By Sam Freeman In the summer of 2018, after finishing my penultimate year of my undergrad Marine & Freshwater Biology degree, I travelled to Watamu. Watamu is a small but beautiful coastal town just north of Mombasa, in Kenya – East Africa. Watamu is famous for its picturesque sandy-white beaches
As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on a year that has been nothing short of unusual. Despite the challenges, it has been a year for reflection, growth and innovation, and we believe there’s never been more reason to work toward a brighter future. In the face of
“I’ve had an extraordinary life. It’s only now that I appreciate how extraordinary. As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world – but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable
The wellbeing benefits of nature are often linked to forests or habitats that support diverse pollinators. Spending time in green spaces reduces stress and anxiety, for example. By contrast, the benefits of the ocean are more commonly associated with fishing, exciting creatures such as whales and dolphins, or adventure watersports, rather than
Extreme heat can have a devastating effect on seagrass, but new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) could shape how these vitally important marine ecosystems are managed and restored. In separate studies carried out on both the west and east coasts of Australia, researchers have investigated how seagrasses stand up
Accelerate Seagrass is a collaborative program being delivered by Climate Impact Partners, Deloitte, Project Seagrass, and the National Oceanography Centre which aims to support groundbreaking research into seagrass carbon sequestration and unlock long-term finance to save and reinstate vital seagrass meadows. Part of this programme of work involves collaborating with community groups across Scotland to develop knowledge
The Scottish Seagrass Collaborative, responds to Crown Estate Scotland’s Approach to Marine Enhancement Proposals: We write as marine scientists, restoration practitioners, and organisations working across Scotland’s coasts and seas, in response to Crown Estate Scotland’s Approach to Marine Enhancement Proposals. We welcome Crown Estate Scotland’s commitment to responsible stewardship of
Two weeks ago, I joined colleagues and collaborators at the Coastal Futures Conference at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The theme this year was ‘From Ambition to Action’, a sentiment that seems to be playing on repeat across the conferencing world with, with yet and seemingly as always, not
In this blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. The shore crab, also known as the green crab, are contentious within the seagrass world. They have important ecological roles within their habitats, but their tendency towards destruction and
