NEWS

NEWS

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.

One man went to sow

Guest blog by Mike Furness about his experience as a volunteer during seagrass planting week. It was smelly; it was noisy; it was heavy; it was cold. It was buzzing, vibrant and invigorating. Overwhelmingly it was about camaraderie, enthusiasm and shared purpose, and all set on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast.

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New life and new hope

Ah, the long awaited bank holiday weekend is almost here, but this time the circumstances are more than a little unusual. Instead of heading to the beach we will be staying at home, not just to look after ourselves but to support our NHS and it’s amazing staff. Easter is

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The Isolated Conservationist

You are not alone! We are all having to take a pause from our chaotic lives in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must support our health care services and the incredible frontline workers by staying at home. Our ocean optimism and motivation to protect our planet does not stop for

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Mosquito nets: Are they catching more fishes than insects?

Mosquito nets designed to prevent malaria transmission are used for fishing which may devastate tropical coastal ecosystems, according to a new scientific study. The researchers found that most of the fish caught using mosquito nets were smaller than a finger and potentially collect hundreds of individuals. Malaria is a serious

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Oceans Festival 2019

Oceans Festival was a day to celebrate work being carried out by scientists, educators, volunteers, artists and many more. There was a variety of stands all sharing the same passion for our oceans. With stalls selling sustainable and plastic free items to beautiful artwork of marine mammals as well as yummy

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Project Seagrass: A Year In Review 2018-2019

Richard Lilley Every year, as a charitable organisation, we have to write a report highlighting the previous 12 months activities. In our early days as a charity these seemed fairly straightforward, but as I sit here to write this, I find it very difficult to decided what to include. A

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Spotlight on Scotland: The Sound of Jura

The weather in Scotland has been beautiful recently making the start of my Spring fieldwork very enjoyable – although surface water temperatures of 7 or 8℃ was a swift reminder that winter has only just left us! Last week I was very lucky to be shown around the Taynish peninsula

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Dear Santa

Dear Santa, We have tried to be responsible people all year. We are really hoping that this year we get the thing we have always wanted – healthy and productive oceans. We know that people haven’t looked after the oceans from the first time they were given to us, and

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Catshark in seagrass
biodiversity

Spotted catshark – Creatures that call seagrass home

In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. The small spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) is a small shark species growing up to 1 meter long and can be seen around European and North African coastlines. They

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climate change

Seagrass to the rescue and rescue to the seagrass

In an article for Halloween, Grace Cutler, one of Project Seagrass’ Interns for the 2025-26 academic year, explores the frightening reality of continued seagrass loss as a result of anthropogenic activity and how this in turn threatens seagrass’ role in supporting people and planet. Werewolves are struck down by silver

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Zostera marina seagrass meadows with a snakelocks anemone
biodiversity

Snakelocks anemone: Creatures that call seagrass home

In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. The snakelocks anemone is a funny looking creature commonly found around the UK. They have up to 200 long, wavy tentacles and can grow on average to about

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Members of Project Seagrass staff are planting seagrass seeds using DIS guns. They are planting into quadrats. It is early morning and the sun hasn't yet risen.
marine licensing

Rethinking Marine Restoration: Why Permits Could Be Holding Us Back

The Ocean is in crisis. Coral reefs are bleaching, seagrass meadows are vanishing, mangroves are being cleared, and biodiversity is plummeting. Scientists estimate we’ve already lost up to 50% of global saltmarshes, 35% of mangroves, and 20% of seagrasses. Yet alongside this sobering decline, momentum for marine restoration has never

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Seagrass meadow in Orkney.

Our response to the Scottish Government Blue Carbon Action Plan

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government circulated a draft version of Scotland’s first Blue Carbon Action Plan with key stakeholders to gather comments and feedback. Project Seagrass was one of the organisations contacted as part of this process. The Blue Carbon Action Plan sets out the Scottish Government’s position and

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A seagrass meadow with fish swimming through it
microbiome

The role of the microbiome in the successful transplantation of seagrass meadows

Posidonia seagrass meadows, veritable underwater forests, play a major ecological role. Under constant pressure from human activity, scientists are looking for ways to ensure their survival, in particular by carrying out restoration campaigns. A study conducted by the University of Liège at the marine and oceanographical research station STARESO (Calvi,

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