Seagrass meadows fringe almost every coastline on Earth. They provide vital ecological services that sustain biodiversity, fisheries, shoreline protection, carbon storage, clean water, and human livelihoods. Much like forests, the benefits they deliver varies by geography and environmental conditions, but they always play a crucial role in ecosystem health.
Yet despite their importance, seagrass meadows are in global decline. Pollution, poor water quality, coastal development, fishing, and shipping have driven significant losses in both extent and function. At Project Seagrass, we are working to reverse this trend, from grassroots community action to international policy engagement.
The growing interest in financing nature through credit systems (for carbon, biodiversity, or water quality) is promising, but it is not yet a solution we can responsibly offer. While we recognise the urgent need to bring new finance into seagrass conservation, we do not currently provide verified credits.
This decision is both scientific and ethical. Evidence that credit systems consistently deliver measurable carbon sequestration or biodiversity gains, on land or at sea, remains weak, with many schemes failing to achieve the intended benefits. Moreover, functioning credit markets rely on robust regulatory, governance, and policy frameworks, which are largely absent for the marine environment in the regions where we operate. Building these frameworks requires stronger science, political will, and mechanisms that ensure equitable benefits for coastal communities. We are actively collaborating with governments, academics, and NGOs to help shape such systems, but they are not yet ready for widespread, credible use in seagrass conservation.
While credits are not on the table, supporting Project Seagrass directly contributes to tangible improvements in seagrass protection and restoration worldwide. As the only globally focused marine conservation charity dedicated exclusively to seagrass, everything we do is centred on safeguarding and improving the health and extent of these ecosystems. Our work spans hands-on restoration, applied science, education, policy influence, and international knowledge sharing. We empower communities, provide open access to seagrass science, and lead globally in many aspects of seagrass research.
Our mission is clear and unwavering: to secure a future for seagrass for the benefit of biodiversity, people, and the planet. Unlike some other organisations, whose interest may fluctuate with policy or funding fashions, our long-term commitment ensures every contribution directly supports evidence-based seagrass conservation and restoration.
If you want your support to drive real change for seagrass, please consider backing our work. Alongside direct donations via our website (DonorBox), you can contribute through verified platforms such as 1% for the Planet, Ecologi and Tomorrow’s Forests. We also provide transparent, open-access reporting of seagrass restoration outcomes via SeagrassRestorer.org, enabling businesses and individuals alike to see the impact of their support.
Together, we can save the world’s seagrass, one of the planet’s most vital and overlooked ecosystems.
