- Over 90% of the UK’s seagrass meadows have been lost — threatening biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal resilience.
- New strategic partnership with King Charles III Charitable Fund strengthens long-term UK seagrass recovery and protection.
Project Seagrass has been selected as one of King Charles III Charitable Fund’s strategic partners for 2026-2029. The charity is one of six inspiring organisations selected in the latest round of funding, all working to drive nature recovery, strengthen communities, and create lasting positive change in the UK.
The new multi-year partnership will support Project Seagrass’ work to protect and restore seagrass meadows — one of the UK’s most threatened yet valuable marine ecosystems. Despite more than 90% of UK seagrass being lost over the last century, these underwater meadows remain critical for supporting biodiversity, fisheries, water quality, and resilient coastlines.
The partnership comes at an important moment for seagrass recovery in the UK, as efforts increasingly move from isolated projects towards long-term, coordinated restoration and protection at scale.
Project Seagrass’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth said:
“This partnership represents an important step forward for seagrass recovery in the UK. It recognises the importance of protecting and restoring these extraordinary ecosystems and strengthens our ability to deliver long-term, lasting recovery for our seas.
By bringing together science, policy, and community action, we can scale restoration, strengthen protection, and help create the conditions seagrass meadows need to recover and thrive. At a time when our marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure, this kind of long-term support is vital to achieving meaningful change for people and planet.”
Project Seagrass was founded in 2013 with a mission to save the world’s seagrass. Over the last 13 years the organisation has championed seagrass ecosystems on the global stage, helping connect science, communities and conservation action through tools such as SeagrassSpotter, which recently marked 10 years and more than 10,000 global seagrass sightings, and the launch of SeagrassRestorer to support shared learning and coordinated recovery efforts worldwide.
In the UK, Project Seagrass established the country’s first seagrass nursery to help scale restoration initiatives, contributed more than 100 scientific publications to the field, and played a key role in securing Welsh Government endorsement of the National Seagrass Action Plan — the first coordinated national strategy for seagrass recovery in Wales.
Today, on World Ocean Day, representatives from Project Seagrass are joining fellow King Charles III Charitable Fund strategic partners to reflect on the collective impact of the programme, share learning, and strengthen collaboration across the environmental and social sectors.
Project Seagrass’ Chief Operating Officer, Dr Celia Marlowe said:
“Bringing together organisations working across such different areas of environmental and social impact creates a fantastic opportunity to learn from one another. Hearing how others approach challenges, build community, and drive change is genuinely inspiring and helps shape how we work towards our mission to save the world’s seagrass.
The strategic partnership will support Project Seagrass’ continued work to deliver people-centred approaches to seagrass recovery, helping safeguard healthier seas for future generations.
Find out more about Project Seagrass’ work to save the world’s seagrass here. For more information about Project Seagrass’ work and opportunities to collaborate please contact Fundraising Manager Paula Langson on paulalangston@projectseagrass.org
