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.
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
In Dale Bay, Pembrokeshire, a collaboration between local fishers and marine conservation charity Project Seagrass is showing positive results for both sustainable fishing and seagrass restoration. Dale Bay is the location of an ongoing seagrass restoration project, delivered by South Wales based charity Project Seagrass and overseen by the Dale
Grammy-nominated singer and Solent Seascape Project collaborate with Jeremy Irons and Angela Harding to celebrate and protect the region’s coastal habitats. The Solent Seascape Project, of which Project Seagrass is a partner, has launched Songs from the Solent, a new EP by Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Richard Walters that uses music to spotlight the Solent’s threatened coastal habitats
Grace Cutler, one of our 2025-26 Project Seagrass interns, reflects on Rebekah Bajkó’s research, Coastal Roots: The History of Seagrass in Northern Ireland. Northern Irish Seagrass In November 2025, I attended the UK Seagrass Symposium, an exciting conference hosted every two years to highlight the current state of seagrass research
Current estimates of the global extent of seagrass range from between 160,000-266,000km. Such a high degree of uncertainty presents challenges for researchers and managers and their ability to make informed decisions which account for the changing status of seagrass ecosystems. Key to improving our understanding of seagrass presence and absence,
Researchers predict that climate change will drive a substantial redistribution of brown seaweeds and seagrasses at the global scale. The projected changes are alarming due to the fundamental role of seaweeds and seagrasses in coastal ecosystems, and provide evidence of the pervasive impacts of climate change on marine life. In
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. Orkney seagrass trip Next month the seagrass team will be departing for their annual seed collection trip in Orkney. Following
Using a novel genetic clock, a team of researchers from Kiel, London, Oldenburg, and Davis, California, has determined the age of a large marine plant clone for the first time. This seagrass clone from the Baltic Sea dates back to the migration period 1,400 years ago. The newly developed clock
This Pride Month we’re celebrating our work with Pride Cymru. Thanks to support from Catalyst Cymru, Pride Cymru volunteers supported fieldwork to plant seagrass seeds as part of our programme of restoration work in North Wales. The planting took place earlier this year in Hafan y Môr, Pwllheli. An introduction
Between the 17th and 21st June 2024, over 500 scientists, conservation professionals, and managers will converge in Naples, Italy for the 15th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW15). It will be two years since the last meeting in Annapolis, USA. The theme of ISBW15 is “Seagrasses in the Anthropocene”, centred around
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
