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 includes mapping to record the presence and extent of
Chief Conservation Officer Dr Benjamin Jones reflects on the IUCN World Conservation Congress: The IUCN World Conservation Congress is, at its core, about knowledge exchange. Experiencing it first-hand made clear just how ambitious and wide-ranging that exchange has become. Across the week, the Congress unfolded through a programme of workshops,
Ewan Garvey, one of Project Seagrass’ Interns for the 2025-26 academic year, explores how seagrass can provide protection for coastal communities. As the seasons transition from autumn into winter, storms often become a pressing concern for coastal communities. In recent years, the growing impacts of climate change have become increasingly
Jasper Brown, one of Project Seagrass’ Interns for the 2025-26 academic year and 3rd Year Student in BSc Zoology with Marine Zoology at Bangor University, explores the need for both active and passive restoration to secure a future for our important seagrass habitats. Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat. Rising
In September 2025, Project Segrass welcomed Anya, Dylan, Will, Grace, Iestyn, Jasper, and Ewan as our interns for the 2025-26 academic year. In this Q&A our interns share their experiences and highlights from their first three months as interns with Project Seagrass. What have been the highlights from your internship
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust have selected Project Seagrass’ Chief Conservation Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Benjamin Jones as the recipient of the inaugural Davidson Science Award. The award has been established to recognize transformative scientific contributions to flats conservation, coastal inshore waters utilized by anglers which are dominated by seagrass meadows.
In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. Sea snails are a hugely diverse group of marine gastropod found in all over the world. There is such a vast range of different colours, sizes, diets and
In 2024, the Project Seagrass team introduced the Seagrass Hug to our planting methodology. The method was developed by Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, and aims to determine whether surrounding seeding plots with more established transplants provides protection for emerging seeds in restoration practices.
On the 25th and 26th October, the team from Project Seagrass attended Swansea Science Festival to launch new VR experience: My Seagrass Adventure. The experience has been created as part of an innovative partnership between Project Seagrass, Proper Good Films, and Onyva Studio and takes users on a mesmerising journey
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
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 includes mapping to record the presence and extent of Scotland’s seagrass meadows (vital data to inform the protection and conservation of seagrass meadows and the benefits they provide). In autumn 2025, members of our Scotland team were out in the field carrying out drone surveys in Drum Sands. In this blog post, our Project Seagrass interns, Ewan Garvey and Jasper Brown discuss the work undertaken: 1.Preparing to Monitor Prior to the commencement of drone work, site assessments were conducted. These checked for air restrictions, site accessibility, and permissions required to access land. Drum Sands (see below map), is a site we have recently mapped and is located within a private estate, requiring permission for access to get to and work on site. This site is located just outside of Edinburgh airport’s no fly zone, a restricted air space which must be kept clear of, at all times. 2. On Site After arriving at the site, we had to transport the kit and get it set up for flying, This included: a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), Ground Control Points (GCP’s) and the drone itself. The DGPS is a device which communicates with satellites and allows for extremely accurate spatial referencing of points, down to 3cm variance. The benefits of this system are to allow you to return to the exact location for continuous monitoring. GCP’s were positioned along the sample area. These are large checkered squares which are easily identifiable from the air. The exact locations are taken using the DGPS, to allow for the drone images to be synced to monitoring data. The drone was set up following our pre-flight checklist, ensuring the batteries, cameras, and propellors, were all in working condition. 3. Flying Once the drone had been launched and was in the air, the operator or another team member had to maintain line of sight with the drone at all times. This was to ensure the safety of others and the drone. At Burntisland, another of our sites, this was extremely important, as there is a railway line which runs adjacent to the seagrass meadow. We were given explicit instructions from Network Rail not to fly above the railway line, to avoid any disruptions to their services. Using a pre-programmed flight plan (below) the drone was set on course, taking images with a 75% overlap between images.The flight height was fixed at 60m. This was chosen to provide adequate clearance from the tops of trees and to increase the field of view. Once the flight plan was complete, we checked the images to ensure that the entire area we needed had been surveyed. 4. Challenges One of the biggest hurdles we faced during this drone work was weather; for good quality drone work to take place there must be clear, dry skies with low wind speeds. This was particularly inconvenient for us, as during our planned drone flights at Drum Sands, there were strong winds and rain, which meant that we were unable to fly the drone. Requesting for an extension of site access posed quite a challenge to do last minute but we managed to gain access to complete the work. While the drone was in flight the team had to keep vigilant for potential hazards such as flying birds and members of the public. We did this by having team members stationed along the sample locations. Each team member was provided with a radio to relay important information back to the pilot. This also allowed us to interact with any interested members of the public whist keeping the drone in sight at all times. 5. Wrap up and final product Once all the drone work had been completed, the images captured by the drone were exported and processed using specialised software, to remove the overlap between photos and to merge the separate images into one large map of the whole area. Using other data points gathered from the area we can overlap these and the image to create an easily understood map. We used this method to create the map (see below) which shows Zostera noltii transplant and donor DGPS points, overlayed onto the drone footage we took of Drum Sands.
Chief Conservation Officer Dr Benjamin Jones reflects on the IUCN World Conservation Congress: The IUCN World Conservation Congress is, at its core, about knowledge exchange. Experiencing it first-hand made clear just how ambitious and wide-ranging that exchange has become. Across the week, the Congress unfolded through a programme of workshops, panel discussions, films, exhibitions, demonstrations, and informal conversations. The scale was remarkable. At any given moment, the real challenge was not finding relevant sessions, but choosing which ones to miss. The number of talks alone was extraordinary. Major thematic sessions were held in plenary across five large halls, complemented by collaboratoriums designed for deeper discussion. Alongside this, the exhibition hall functioned as a Congress within a Congress. Around 30 pavilions, each focused on a particular theme, geography or sector, ran their own mini-conferences, often for 20 to 30 people at a time. These spaces created opportunities for focused dialogue with practitioners, policymakers, Indigenous leaders, researchers, and businesses. These pavilions reflected the breadth of the global conservation movement. There were dedicated spaces for the Americas, Indigenous Peoples, youth, business, and regional IUCN hubs including Arabia, Mongolia and Japan. IUCN also hosted a parallel virtual programme, with many sessions broadcast online so participants could engage without travelling to Abu Dhabi. This level of accessibility and exchange was impressive, if also slightly overwhelming, as I often found myself wanting to attend several sessions simultaneously. Learning Beyond the Marine Space One of the most valuable aspects of the Congress for me was the opportunity to learn from beyond the marine conservation space. I spend much of my time at ocean-focused conferences, surrounded by familiar narratives and challenges. At IUCN, the strong presence of terrestrial conservation organisations offered a different perspective, and a useful reminder that many of the issues we face are shared. Despite differences in ecosystem and context, the challenges are strikingly similar. Organisations across land and sea are grappling with long-term financing, governance complexity, equity and justice, and the difficulty of translating global commitments into local action. Seeing how these issues are addressed in terrestrial conservation reinforced the value of cross-ecosystem learning and collaboration. People of the Oceans: Centring Communities in Ocean Action A highlight of the Congress was the People of the Oceans Breakthrough session. The session brought together Indigenous Peoples, local communities, governments and supporting organisations from around the world to collectively shape a path forward for ocean and climate action. The discussion was held in an interactive fishbowl format and marked an important step towards defining a People of the Oceans Breakthrough. The aim is to ensure that Indigenous and local coastal peoples’ knowledge, rights and leadership sit at the centre of the global ocean agenda. The session opened with a powerful performance by Kevin Chang of Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo from Hawai‘i. His song, celebrating the deep connection between people, culture and the ocean, set a tone grounded in relationship and reciprocity. In their opening remarks, Thomas Sberna and Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy of IUCN called for a coordinated ocean and climate community that moves from commitment to implementation, with People of the Ocean at its heart. They emphasised that local stakeholders are best placed to drive this agenda forward. As Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy noted, while the Ocean, Mangrove and emerging Seagrass Breakthroughs are critical, none can succeed without the leadership of local and Indigenous communities. This is the foundation on which the People of the Oceans Breakthrough has been built. Advancing Marine Conservation Breakthroughs My own contributions to the Congress focused on advancing marine conservation from ambition to delivery. I was invited as a panel speaker for the session “Advancing the Marine Conservation Breakthrough: Connecting Global Action to Scale Marine Nature-Based Solutions.” The session placed Marine Nature-Based Solutions firmly at the centre of efforts to deliver on both climate and biodiversity goals. The discussion brought together governments, finance institutions, private sector actors and expert practitioners to highlight concrete opportunities to protect and restore coastal marine ecosystems at scale. My contribution focused on the practical realities of implementation, including how initiatives such as the Seagrass Breakthrough can bridge global commitments with locally led action. The session also provided updates on progress across the Ocean Breakthroughs campaign, including the Seagrass Breakthrough. I also delivered formal remarks during the session on Mobilising the Ocean Breakthroughs for Ecosystem Conservation in the MENA Region. This closed-door, high-level dialogue formed the culmination of the MENA Oceans Summit 2025 and brought together board members, policymakers, partners and regional stakeholders. My remarks focused on the Seagrass Breakthrough and its relevance to the region, highlighting opportunities for regional leadership, innovation and scalable conservation. The session showcased transformative projects linked to the Mangrove, Seagrass and Coral Breakthroughs, while identifying synergies and shared priorities across the region. From Congress to Consequence What stood out most from the IUCN World Conservation Congress was the clear shift towards delivery. Across ecosystems, sectors and regions, there was a shared recognition that ambition now needs to translate into action. The Congress demonstrated that the knowledge, networks and frameworks are already in place. The task ahead is to ensure that implementation is inclusive, locally led and grounded in the realities of the people most closely connected to nature.
Ewan Garvey, one of Project Seagrass’ Interns for the 2025-26 academic year, explores how seagrass can provide protection for coastal communities. As the seasons transition from autumn into winter, storms often become a pressing concern for coastal communities. In recent years, the growing impacts of climate change have become increasingly clear: extreme weather events once considered “once-in-a-decade” now seem to strike far more frequently. In response, governments and communities are looking for protective solutions, investing heavily in sea defence systems, ranging from sandbags to seawalls. But what if nature has already developed a solution? Enter seagrass. Seagrass’s unique characteristics make it a powerful ally in protecting coastlines. Unlike concrete walls or other flood defence systems, seagrass meadows work with natural processes to reduce erosion and flooding, while also creating vital habitat for marine life. How Seagrass Protects Our Shores Root FixationMuch like how trees stabilise the soil in forests, seagrass root systems anchor sand and mud in place, reducing sediments from being washed away during storms. This helps to maintain the structure of beaches, providing more stable coastal habitats. Dissipation of Wave EnergyWhen waves pass over seagrass meadows, the blades create friction. This slows the water, disperses energy, and reduces the force that reaches the shoreline. This means water travels up the beach less and can lessen flooding events. Challenges Hard-engineered coastal defences such as rock armour can cost upwards of £1 million for just a 35-metre section. Seagrass restoration is also expensive, and to date has been largely funded through philanthropic and government funding mechanisms. Seagrass restoration is not without challenges; newly planted seeds are vulnerable to being washed away or buried by shifting sediment before they can properly establish. Seagrass also requires good water quality; too much pollution can prevent seedlings from developing. In many areas, improving river and coastal water quality must go hand in hand with restoration for projects to succeed. A Blended Solution Is seagrass the silver bullet for coastal protection? Not entirely. By blending natural and engineered approaches, we can create more sustainable, resilient coastlines—ones that not only protect us from storms but also support thriving marine ecosystems. Combining engineered solutions such as breakwaters or seawalls with seagrass meadows could reduce wave energy and sediment loss, which would lower the stress on the artificial defences. This could result in cheaper, smaller sea defence structures, reducing both environmental impact and cost. References and Extra Research “Seagrass as a nature-based solution for coastal protection” by Forrester, Leonardi, Cooper & Kumar (2024) Infantes et al. (2022) — Seagrass roots strongly reduce cliff erosion rates in sandy sediments Donatelli et al. (2018) — “Seagrass Impact on Sediment Exchange Between Tidal Flats and Salt Marsh, and The Sediment Budget of Shallow Bays” Bricheno, L. M., et al. “Climate change impacts on storms and waves relevant to the UK and Ireland.” MCCIP Science Review 2025 (2025).
Jasper Brown, one of Project Seagrass’ Interns for the 2025-26 academic year and 3rd Year Student in BSc Zoology with Marine Zoology at Bangor University, explores the need for both active and passive restoration to secure a future for our important seagrass habitats. Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat. Rising temperatures, ocean acidification, and water pollution are just a few of the key drivers in the decreasing quality of our marine ecosystems. Researchers have found that many aquatic species are shifting poleward at an average rate of 70 kilometres every decade (Melbourne-Thomas et al., 2021) – a vast response to changing conditions. Species such as the American Lobster, Cushion Star, and Humboldt Squid have nearly doubled their latitude range, showing the clear extent of this poleward shift in marine species (Pinsky et al., 2020). Why are they moving? One crucial reason is habitat loss. Seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and kelp forests are disappearing worldwide, reducing opportunities for biodiversity and removing essential nursery habitats for marine life. The solution is clear: we must conserve and restore. Across the globe, charities and organisations are embracing active restoration – direct interventions to rebuild habitats. The work consists of planting seagrass, reforesting mangroves, and coral Gardening. All of which provide crucial environmental benefits: large carbon sinks, coastal protection, and providing nursery habitats. Seagrass planting involves transplanting seeds and rhizomes near existing meadows (do Amaral Camara Lima et al., 2023). Coral gardening uses nurseries to grow coral fragments, which are later transplanted to reefs that support approximately 25% of all marine species (Rinkevich, 2014; Gallagher, 2025; Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2022). Mangrove reforestation involves planting seedlings along suitable coastlines (Zahra Farshid et al., 2022; Bimrah et al., 2022). These methods are being implemented worldwide, from the Persian Gulf in western Asia to the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Yet, challenges persist. Active restoration projects are costly, often relying on charitable donations and grants (Paling et al., 2009). Despite these hurdles, active restoration works, a recent review by Danovaro (2025), found an average success rate of 64% across 764 projects. Is active restoration enough? However, success depends on environmental conditions; water clarity, for example, is critical for seagrass survival due to photosynthesis requiring sufficient light. Declining clarity, driven by pollution, bottom trawling, and dredging, increases turbidity, which limits restoration efforts (Paling et al., 2009). This is where passive restoration comes in Passive strategies focus on removing environmental pressures and creating conditions for ecosystems to heal naturally. Examples include implementing policies to regulate fertilizer use and reduce nutrient runoff, as well as enforcing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These acts will reduce eutrophication in our waterways and lead to a more stable marine environment, leading to the eventual reduction in coral bleaching and seagrass meadow reduction. MPAs have been shown to restore ecosystem functions such as predation (Cheng et al., 2019), highlighting their critical role in maintaining biodiversity. Conclusion While MPAs are just one example, they perfectly highlight the value of passive restoration in its entirety. The greatest benefits come from integrating passive and active approaches. By enforcing regulations and establishing strict no-trawl zones, we can reduce nutrient loads and sedimentation. Through these efforts, our marine ecosystems will one day thrive again, meaning we get to see the animals and plants we so dearly care about. References Bimrah, K., Dasgupta, R., Hashimoto, S., Saizen, I., & Dhyani, S. (2022). Ecosystem Services of Mangroves: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Contemporary Scientific Literature. Sustainability, 14(19), 12051. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912051 Bulmer, R. H., Townsend, M., Drylie, T., & Lohrer, A. M. (2018). Elevated Turbidity and the Nutrient Removal Capacity of Seagrass. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00462 Cheng, B. S., Altieri, A. H., Torchin, M. E., & Ruiz, G. M. (2019). Can marine reserves restore lost ecosystem functioning? A global synthesis. Ecology, 100(4), e02617. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2617 Danovaro, R., Aronson, J., Bianchelli, S., Boström, C., Chen, W., Cimino, R., Corinaldesi, C., Cortina-Segarra, J., D’Ambrosio, P., Gambi, C., Garrabou, J., Giorgetti, A., Grehan, A., Hannachi, A., Mangialajo, L., Morato, T., Orfanidis, S., Papadopoulou, N., Ramirez-Llodra, E., & Smith, C. J. (2025). Assessing the success of marine ecosystem restoration using meta-analysis. Nature Communications, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57254-2 do Amaral Camara Lima, M., Bergamo, T. F., Ward, R. D., & Joyce, C. B. (2023). A Review of Seagrass Ecosystem services: Providing nature-based Solutions for a Changing World. Hydrobiologia, 850(12-13), 2655–2670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05244-0 Gallagher, M. (2025, August 24). What Ecosystem Services Do Coral Reefs Provide? – Green Packs. GreenPacks. https://greenpacks.org/what-ecosystem-services-do-coral-reefs-provide/ Melbourne-Thomas, J., Audzijonyte, A., Brasier, M. J., Cresswell, K. A., Fogarty, H. E., Haward, M., Hobday, A. J., Hunt, H. L., Ling, S. D., McCormack, P. C., Mustonen, T., Mustonen, K., Nye, J. A., Oellermann, M., Trebilco, R., van Putten, I., Villanueva, C., Watson, R. A., & Pecl, G. T. (2021). Poleward bound: adapting to climate-driven species redistribution. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09641-3 Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center. (2022, June 27). Role of Reefs in Coastal Protection | U.S. Geological Survey. Www.usgs.gov. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pcmsc/science/role-reefs-coastal-protection Paling, Fonseca, M., Katwijk, M., & Keulen, van. (2009). Seagrass restoration. In Coastal wetlands: an integrated ecosystems approach. (pp. 687–713). Rinkevich, B. (2014). Rebuilding coral reefs: does active reef restoration lead to sustainable reefs? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 7, 28–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.11.018 Zahra Farshid, Reshad Moradi Balef, Tuba Zendehboudi, Dehghan, N., Mohajer, F., Siavash Kalbi, Hashemi, A., Afshar, A., Tabandeh Heidari Bafghi, Hanieh Baneshi, & Amin Tamadon. (2022). Reforestation of grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) along the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 31(1), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-022-09904-1
In September 2025, Project Segrass welcomed Anya, Dylan, Will, Grace, Iestyn, Jasper, and Ewan as our interns for the 2025-26 academic year. In this Q&A our interns share their experiences and highlights from their first three months as interns with Project Seagrass. What have been the highlights from your internship so far? Anya: Fieldwork has been the highlight of my internship so far. I have monitored thriving seagrass meadows on the Isle of Wight, documenting the successes and challenges of previous planting trials. It’s great to see the team so excited about their hard work last year paying off. All this has happened whilst being visited by the Island’s coastal wildlife – seals, catsharks and the infamous White-tailed Eagles have come to check out our monitoring techniques. I particularly enjoyed blue boat monitoring in North Wales – which may be linked to the fact we could only work on calm, sunny, beautiful days. Although fieldwork is mostly cold, wet, and muddy I have found it the most rewarding part of my internship so far. Will: Although there are too many things that I could list, one of the biggest highlights has to be being able to help at the UK Seagrass Symposium this year. It was an amazing experience being able to meet and talk to people who have put so much time and effort in seagrass restoration with so many great talks surrounding many different topics. It was also a great way to bond with other members of the team I don’t see as often, like the Scotland team. Outside of the symposium, I’ve always enjoyed being able to help with fieldwork be that in Anglesey or the Isle of Wight doing a variety of things like monitoring seagrass or placing hobo loggers out. I also came along to help at the Swansea Science Festival and the launch of Project Seagrass’s VR project with major success, and I felt lucky to be a part of the launch of the project, hopefully with many more outreach events to come in 2026 to showcase this further. Grace: A standout moment from my internship this year has to be participating in the ‘Meadow of Hope’. I was able to combine both my love for art and science to make something meaningful and will hopefully have a lasting impact on the people involved and Project Seagrass. The meadow was part of an amazing experience I had at the UKSS, which was my first ever science conference and had the opportunity to meet others in my field. Fieldwork is another aspect of this placement that has been eye-opening. Not only has it helped improve my skills as a scientist but has led me to be more connected to nature than ever before. I even had the chance to find my first ever fossil! Seagrass monitoring in the Solent Seagrass monitoring in North Wales Jasper: So far, my internship has been amazing! One of my favorite bits has been the amount of fieldwork we have done. Being in the Scotland office I have a slightly different schedule to the HQ interns and to have done so much fieldwork has been a pleasant surprise. Additionally, the opportunities I’ve been given so far have been thoroughly beneficial. Through the internship directly, I’ve had multiple networking opportunities: UKSS, Forth20 Conference, Sea Scotland Hustings, where I got to meet key scientists, policy makers and other important people within the Scotland conservation network. Additionally, through the advice of my colleagues, I’ve been able to join the Young Sea Changers Community, based in Scotland, working towards giving young conservationists the education and ability to speak and contribute towards Marine policy, which has been thoroughly beneficial. The annual leave has come in quite handy for me as well, allowing me to participate in a week-long work experience with the aquarist team of an aquarium, allowing me to get hands-on with some animals. Ewan: A highlight has been the large portion of fieldwork I have been able to be a part of in the first few months. I have been to several different sites around Edinburgh as well as traveling to Inverness for some surveying work. Another notable highlight are the events and conferences I have been able to take part in which have allowed me to begin making connections with industry professionals. In particular the UK Seagrass Symposium where I was able to also meet the wider Project Seagrass team. Dylan: Since September I’d say my highlight has been visiting as many of the seagrass sites as possible. My favourite so far is probably Penrhyn, but Llanelli is for sure the most fun to go to with how muddy it is. Penrhyn just beats it because of the super cool animals we saw while on fieldwork, the coolest being a sea mouse and a long-spined sea scorpion fish. It has also been really rewarding to feel part of the team so quickly, and hearing everyone’s stories from previous fieldwork is always great. Additionally, being allowed access to so much different scientific equipment is really exciting and the data collection feels much more impactful than any university fieldwork I have been on. Iestyn: A real standout moment for me this year was attending and speaking at the UKSS. It was inspiring to be part of a space where researchers and conservationists come together to work towards a shared goal and present their work was very interesting. Fieldwork has also been a major highlight, especially the Solent seagrass monitoring trip. Being out on the coast and seeing the seagrass meadows up close helped me connect everything I’ve been learning to the practical realities of restoration. Restoration Forth monitoring fieldwork UK Seagrass Symposium Youth Voice session What are you looking forward to in 2026? Anya: I am looking forward to the shift in our work as the season’s change. With next year comes planting, more monitoring, and eventually seed picking. I enjoy the diverse and dynamic nature of this role -where each month brings new
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust have selected Project Seagrass’ Chief Conservation Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Benjamin Jones as the recipient of the inaugural Davidson Science Award. The award has been established to recognize transformative scientific contributions to flats conservation, coastal inshore waters utilized by anglers which are dominated by seagrass meadows. The award is named in tribute to Tom Davidson, Sr., Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s Founding Chairman and an influential leader in business and conservation. For the past two years, Ben has been collaborating with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and scientists from Florida International University on an alternative fishery assessment project that was designed to address long-standing challenges in managing data-poor fisheries. Upon receiving the award, Ben said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive the inaugural Davidson Science Award. This work began as an idea to bridge science and lived experiences, and its success shows what’s possible when we rethink how fisheries can be assessed and more strongly bring fishers on that journey with us. With this support, we can scale this work across the region and help secure a more resilient future for bonefish, tarpon, permit, and the coastal communities that rely on them. Bonefish fishery, South Florida. Credit Ian Wilson Dr Benjamin Jones receiving the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust’s inaugural Davidson Science Award Recognizing that traditional stock assessments are often impractical for data-poor fisheries, Ben worked closely with fishing guides in South Florida who are highly dependent on seagrass meadows to devise new ways to understand and manage an important seagrass associated catch-and-release recreational fishery. In the initial phase of this project, Ben led an extensive literature review across multiple fields on the use and optimization of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK). Of the c.400 studies reviewed, results highlighted the primarily qualitative nature of the studies, the lack of replicability, and underutilization in seagrass fisheries, all of which presented opportunities for quantitative studies to feed into ongoing fisheries management and conservation. Utilizing the concept of the Wisdom of Crowds, the project subsequently tested whether estimates of fishing quality from diverse groups (in this case, multiple ages and years of fishing experience) were more accurate than estimates provided by homogenous groups. Results showed that estimates from small diverse crowds (multiple ages and years of experience) outperformed most estimates from larger homogenous crowds with responses aligning with the empirical data available. Through this work, an innovative method, now termed a Best Catch Assessment (BECAA), was developed utilizing local knowledge to determine historic trends and current fishery status. The method builds upon the work Dr. Andrea Sáenz-Arroyo, a researcher working with coastal communities in Mexico, by asking two key questions surrounding best catch in the past and current best catch. A BECAA has already been successfully applied to assess the bonefish fishery in South Florida, demonstrating its effectiveness and promise for broader conservation efforts. With $50,000 in support from the Davidson Science Award, Ben will lead new assessments for other seagrass-associated species and initiate the process of applying the method in additional locations across the region. “Dr. Jones’ work on alternative methods to assess fisheries reflects a pioneering approach that will have a positive influence on how we manage not only the flats fishery, but data poor fisheries globally,” said Dr. Aaron Adams, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Director of Science and Conservation. The work has the potential to be utilized in further seagrass contexts. “This is also an opportunity to bring this to even more places globally, in places where people depend on coastal habitats for food and livelihoods for example and ensure that conservation decisions are informed by the people who will be affected by them” said Ben. A bonefish swims through a seagrass meadow in South Florida. Credit Ian Wilson Bonefish in seagrass. Credit Ian Wilson About Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon, and permit—the species, their habitats and the larger fisheries they comprise. BTT pursues this mission through science-based conservation, education, and advocacy across Florida, The Bahamas, Belize and Mexico, as well as in coastal states from Texas to Virginia. Learn more at: www.BTT.org. About the Davidson Science Award The Davidson Science Award honors the legacy of Tom Davidson, Sr., whose leadership has shaped both the corporate and conservation landscapes. As Founding Chairman of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Davidson helped establish BTT’s enduring mission to conserve the flats fishery through science, education, and advocacy. He also served on the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary Advisory Board and as V.P. Director of Sanctuary Friends of the Florida Keys, and was a director of the Everglades Foundation. With the decline of the bonefish fishery in the Florida Keys the talk of the fishing community in the 1990s, Tom Davidson took decisive action. With a core founding group, Tom created Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited. BTU (now BTT) was unique in multiple ways: it was the first organization to focus on conservation of the flats fishery; BTT engages the fishing community as a core tenet; and Tom’s vision was for BTT to be a science-based organization that conducts collaborative science to address real conservation needs. This innovative combination of vision, collaboration, and action has enabled BTT to be far more influential in regional flats and coastal conservation than anyone imagined. This award is aimed at continuing that legacy by supporting innovative science that contributes to transformative conservation.
In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. Sea snails are a hugely diverse group of marine gastropod found in all over the world. There is such a vast range of different colours, sizes, diets and life strategies within the sea snail community. These are fascinating little creatures that deserve a lot more attention than they receive! A big issue for sea snails inhabiting shallow coastal areas is desiccation – drying out when the tide goes out. Some species, like periwinkles, will group together in rock crevices and excrete a gluey mucus to hold them in place and retain moisture. A lot of species have an operculum. This structure is attached to their foot and acts as a trapdoor. When the snail retreats into its shell, the operculum will seal shut, preventing moisture from escaping and the snail from drying out. Snail mating behaviour is both odd and fascinating. There are so many variations in the sea snail world – from self-fertilising hermaphrodites to standard sexual reproduction. Some species are your standard dioecious set up – within the species there are male individuals and female individuals where gametes from each are needed for reproduction. For example, the common whelk Buccinum undatum has separate males and females. The females will release pheromones to attract males and fertilisation will happen internally, allowing the production of egg capsules. Each capsule contains between 600 and 2000 eggs. Despite being in the same egg capsule, the developing embryo may still have different fathers as the females can mate multiple times and store sperm until the environmental conditions are perfect. Other snail species will gather in groups and release their gametes straight into the water column for fertilisation to take place. Shannon Moran / Ocean Image Bank Hermaphroditism is where one individual produces both male and female gametes. Some species such as bubble snails and mud snails are simultaneous hermaphrodites – they can produce both sets of gametes at once, meaning they can self-fertilise. Protandrous sequential hermaphroditism is when the individual started out as male but changes sex to become a female at some point throughout their lives. Species in the genus Crepidula (slipper snails) express this behaviour. The change in sex is thought to be influenced by their social situation – number, sex and size of other individuals in the vicinity. Some species will carry around their offspring on their shells. Males of the whelk species Solenosteira macrospira will carry the offspring of up to 25 other males. When mating, the female will glue capsules containing hundreds of eggs onto the males shell. As the eggs hatch, some of the first to break free will eat their siblings that are still developing inside the egg. Other species will glue their eggs to solid structures in the environment and leave them to raise themselves. Eggs can hatch into larvae which will travel with currents to help dispersal and mix populations and then settle down to develop after a few weeks. In other species, tiny, fully formed versions of the adults will hatch. Why am I telling you about sea snails? Because they love seagrass! Uk species such as the mud snail Peringia ulvae, banded chink snail Lacuna vincta, the bubble snail Haminoea navicular and perhaps the most recognisable common periwinkle Littorina littorea and netted dog whelk (Tritia reticulata) are all known to use seagrass meadows in at least one stage of their life cycle. Some snails, such as the dog whelk, will lay their eggs on the leaves of seagrass, attaching them with a mucus to hold them firm and preventing coastal currents from dislodging the eggs. Some species will eat the algae growing on the seagrass leaves. They use sharp, tiny teeth like structures to scrape the algae off the leaves. This is very important for the health of seagrass as too much algal growth will smother the plant, preventing sufficient light for photosynthesis to reach the leaf. There is evidence showing the presence of snails on seagrass increases leaf length and nutrient content (Jiang et al., 2023). Other benefits of these little critters Sea snails play a huge role in ecosystems and coastal environments. Their role as an indicator species helps us understand environmental health and can be used to measure levels of pollution and habitat quality. In some cultures, they are harvested for their meat and shells, creating important income streams for coastal communities. Snails form a vital part of many species diets, including birds, crabs and fish. Some species are detritivores – they will eat dead and decaying organic matter on the sea floor. This is a very important role as it prevents nutrient build up which can lead to algae blooms and disease outbreaks. Sea snails are even being used in scientific research to advance technologies. All snails have tiny teeth-like structures on their radula (a tongue-like mouthpart), however in some species these are super strong. Patella vulgate, a species of limpet, have some of the strongest in the world – the strength of their teeth is comparable to some of the strongest commercial carbon fibres and can withstand the pressures that turn carbon into diamonds (Sea Snail’s Teeth: Are They the Strongest Biomaterials in the World?, 2019). These properties are being studied for use in improving and adapting technology used in building planes, boats and dentistry. Researchers are investigating compounds in the venom some sea snails produce for possible use in medicinal drugs for pain relief and diabetes (Sea snail poison promises new medicines, 2018). If you want to find out more about these strange little creatures, I’d recommend these articles to start: 5 Sensational Sea Snail Species Sea Snail References: Sea snail poison promises new medicines | Research and Innovation. (2018). Projects.research-And-Innovation.ec.europa.eu. https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/projects/success-stories/all/sea-snail-poison-promises-new-medicines Eren , R. (2019). Sea Snail’s Teeth: Are They the Strongest Biomaterials in the World? [online] Fountain Magazine. Available at: https://fountainmagazine.com/all-issues/2019/issue-132-nov-dec-2019/sea-snail-s-teeth-are-they-the-strongest-biomaterials-in-the-world. Jiang, Z., He, J., Fang, Y., Lin, J., Liu, S., Wu, Y. and Huang, X. (2023).
In 2024, the Project Seagrass team introduced the Seagrass Hug to our planting methodology. The method was developed by Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, and aims to determine whether surrounding seeding plots with more established transplants provides protection for emerging seeds in restoration practices. Anouska said: “In this restoration methodology trial we sought to incorporate different Zostera marina life stages by means of seeds and transplants, in a planting design aimed to minimise, and test, hydrodynamic impact on planted seagrass. By implementing multiple restoration strategies, we hope to improve seagrass restoration success and gain valuable knowledge in life-stage bottlenecks to seagrass survival and resilience, site-specific interactions, and insights for scaling-up. The Seagrass Consortium have been wonderful partners in collaborating on this cross-European wide trial, working towards furthering our understanding on seagrass meadow restoration, recovery, resilience and rehabilitation” Members of the Project Seagrass team planting seagrass seeds at Thorness, Isle of Wight using the DIS method. Photo credit Francesca Page. Members of the Project Seagrass team planting seagrass transplants at Thorness, Isle of Wight. Photo credit Francesca Page. The Seagrass Hug Method. Graphic provided by Anouska Mendzil Initial trials of the method took place as part of spring planting efforts in the Isle of Wight, in South England, forming part of active restoration work taking place as part of the Solent Seascape Project. The approach involves planting seagrass seeds using the Dispenser Injection Seeding (DIS) method (developed by The Fieldwork Company) and surrounding these seeding plots with more established seagrass transplants using a bare-root plant with anchoring peg. Project Seagrass’ planting trials used seagrass transplants grown from seed at our Seagrass Nursery in West Wales and local donor meadow transplants to provide the “hug” which will also be tested as part of the experiment. https://www.projectseagrass.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Template-Website-Images-Landscape.mp4 The Seagrass Hug planting design has been aligned with seagrass planting being undertaken by our partners at The Seagrass Consortium and has been replicated as part of restoration efforts in the Bay of Arcachon, Etang de Berre, the Bay of Santander, Oosterschelde in the Netherlands, North Wales and the Mediterranean Sea at Mallorca. Monitoring of these experimental plots including seagrass traits and environmental parameters will enable us to assess whether this approach provides protection for the emerging seeds. Scaling the trial in collaboration with international partners helps to build our collective knowledge. Results will be published and shared on SeagrassRestorer to share the findings openly and foster further collaboration within the seagrass community. A seagrass transplant prepared for planting as part of a Seagrass Hug in the Isle of Wight. Photo credit Francesca Page Spring 2025 planting efforts using the Seagrass Hug method. Photo credit Francesca Page
On the 25th and 26th October, the team from Project Seagrass attended Swansea Science Festival to launch new VR experience: My Seagrass Adventure. The experience has been created as part of an innovative partnership between Project Seagrass, Proper Good Films, and Onyva Studio and takes users on a mesmerising journey through the UK’s seagrass meadows. Featuring music from Project Seagrass’ patrons Coldplay and narration from Simon Pegg, My Seagrass Adventure allows users to explore a variety of creatures that call seagrass meadows home and learn about the importance of the UK’s seagrass habitats. The experience aims to widen awareness of seagrass habitats and allow communities who wouldn’t ordinarily have the opportunity to see seagrass to connect with the habitat. Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, CEO of Project Seagrass said: “This project has been a fantastic opportunity to create an immersive experience that allows anyone to explore the sights and sounds of our incredible UK seagrass meadows. One of the key challenges we face with seagrass, as with many marine ecosystems, is that it largely exists out of sight. By giving people virtual access to these underwater habitats, we can connect with many more people and plant the seed of seagrass appreciation. After all, we need to know about something and understand its value before we can truly care about protecting it.” Andrew Brown, Creative Partner at Onyva Studio said: “It’s been great working with the team at Project Seagrass to bring this experience to life. Seeing people put the headset on at an event and feel like they are really diving down to the ocean floor is thrilling. We’re super proud to have been part of such an important and exciting project.” Ben Mann, Managing Director at Proper Good Films said: “This was a fantastic collaboration between Project Seagrass, Proper Good and Onyva. We loved being part of such a meaningful project, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of seagrass for marine habitats. Having Coldplay and Simon Pegg involved really elevated it to a really impactful, meditative and inspiring immersive experience.” Held at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, over 250 people had the opportunity to experience My Seagrass Adventure as part of its official launch. The VR experience has been made possible due to the generous support of a range of funders and partners including Project Seagrass’ patrons Coldplay, Simon Pegg, Swansea University, ERM Foundation, the Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North Wales programme, Richard Unsworth, Rebecca Cullen, and many members of the Project Seagrass team who have contributed to this project.
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 generally live in shallow coastal areas and rarely go deeper than 100 meters around the British Isles, but in areas such as the Mediterranean they have been spotted swimming down to 400 meters deep. They love sandy, muddy or rocky seafloors where they feed on crab, molluscs and fish which they detect with their strong sense of smell and electrical sensors located in its snout. Sharks have really interesting skin. Tiny teeth-like structures called dermal denticles cover their whole body, giving the shark a course, sandpapery texture. These provide the shark with an armour like protection from other predators, but also from parasites, algae and barnacles that might think a sharks body would make a good home. Each denticle has a blood flow and is covered in dentine – the same thing as human teeth – to make them extra solid structures and are discarded and replaced throughout the sharks lifetime. Denticles also reduce drag whilst swimming, allowing the creatures to swim at high speeds. This particular property has been of interest to companies, who have mimicked the structure of the denticles with synthetic materials for human use. One such example is Speedo, who created a material called “Fastskin” for swimsuits that was so good it was banned from competitions, including the Olympics! Small Spotted Catshark egg in Seagrass Spotted catsharks are oviparous – meaning they lay their young in eggs to develop outside of the body. The female will lay her eggs in pairs in sheltered, shallow coastal areas. To keep the eggs safe during development, the female will attach the egg case to a solid structure – usually seaweed or seagrass. Once ready to lay the eggs, long tendrils at each corner of the egg will appear first. These are attached to a seagrass shoot or seaweed by the female swimming in tight circles around it. Once these tendrils are attached, the female will circle faster, pulling the rest of the egg from the cloaca and making sure it is firmly attached to the chosen structure. The eggs will develop for 8-9 months, depending on the sea temperature and then hatch into small versions of the adults. It is common to see spotted catshark egg cases washed up on beaches around the UK. If you’ve come across a small, roughly 5 -7 cm long, thin case with curly tendrils at each corner, chances are it was a spotted catshark egg case! Usually these are empty, but sometimes they will have been dislodged and wash up with the embryo inside. If you find one of these – made sure to put it in a deep rock pool and anchor it down so it doesn’t float back onto the beach! What is a spotted catsharks relationship with seagrass? This catshark uses seagrass mainly as a nursery for its young. As mentioned before, the females will wrap the tendrils of the egg cases around a solid structure such as seagrass, ensuring it doesn’t get washed away in currents and keeping the developing embryo safe. Dense seagrass meadows make perfect nursery’s once the sharks hatch from their eggs too. The meadows provide shelter from predators as well as a wide variety of food for the baby spotted catsharks to practice hunting. Adult spotted catsharks may also be spotted around seagrass meadows as a lot of their prey likes to hide between the shoots, such as crabs and small fish. Why is this species important? Unlike some of the other species mentioned in this blog series, spotted catsharks have little commercial/ human use. Some communities eat them but on a large commercial scale, they have little value. However, within ecosystems it has a couple of important roles. It is a mid-level predator, meaning it eats a wide variety of smaller creatures as part of its regular diet, but also can be prey for other bigger species, like other sharks and seals. The role of a predator is vital in maintaining healthy populations. For example, the spotted catshark loves to munch on crab, which can be quite destructive animals when their population grows too large. By keeping crab numbers at a healthy level, catsharks help maintain functioning ecosystems and happy seagrass meadows. Also, scientists can use spotted catsharks as indicator species. If they are present, it means the habitat has a healthy number of different species as the sharks wouldn’t stick around an area that doesn’t have enough food to support them. Reference : https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/small-spotted-catshark
