In September 2024, Project Segrass welcomed Finn, Grace, and Heather as our interns for the 2024-25 academic year. Finn and Heather have joined us as interns from the University of St Andrew’s and Grace has joined us from Swansea University. In this interview Finn, Grace, and Heather share their experiences
In 2024, Project Seagrass launched a new Fragment Walk initiative on the Isle of Wight to support community-based seagrass restoration as part of our work in the Solent. Seagrass Fragments Seagrass meadows are sensitive habitats which can be easily uprooted. As a result of storms or other disturbances, fragments of
We spoke to Moray Ocean Community about their volunteering in the Moray Firth area and how they integrate the SeagrassSpotter app into their activities. Read the full interview below: Can you tell us about Moray Ocean Community and how it started? Moray Ocean Community started to come together over two
Scientists from the marine conservation charity Project Seagrass are undertaking seagrass planting experiments along the South & West Wales coastline, including a new planting site in Butetown along Cardiff’s Foreshore. Cardiff’s Foreshore is a popular place for sea-angling for species such as cod, which uses seagrass meadows as a nursery
Earlier this month Project Seagrass’ Senior Conservation Officer Katy Waring attended the yearly gathering for coastal communities from the Coastal Communities Network facilitated by Fauna and Flora International. The event was held on the island of Millport at their field studies centre. The 3-day event was inspiring; groups from around
Climate Impact Partners and Deloitte, in collaboration with Project Seagrass and the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, announce a groundbreaking program to fund UK seagrass recovery and unlock long-term finance to save and reinstate vital seagrass meadows. The program will fund critical research across UK seagrass meadows, mapping the ecosystems and developing methods to restore them
The Seagrass Ocean Rescue North Wales programme relies on the commitment and enthusiasm of local volunteers. We spoke to regular volunteer Neil about his experiences of volunteering as part of the programme. Volunteer Interview Tell us a little bit about yourself: I grew up in North Wales, then moved around
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. Restoration Forth August Fieldwork | Seagrass highlights from Orkney The seagrass team are not long back from Orkney, where
Read our fieldwork notes from our summer seagrass seed collection: North Wales Seed Collection A brilliant start to our annual seed collections, with summer finally arriving right on time! The weather has been fantastic, with underwater visibility not too far off 10m, and not a drop of rain so far…
Seagrass meadows are essential for the health of our oceans. They provide vital habitats for marine life, improve water quality, and store significant amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, these vital ecosystems are in decline. Here at Project Seagrass, we are on a mission to restore seagrass meadows to help create a
In September 2024, Project Segrass welcomed Finn, Grace, and Heather as our interns for the 2024-25 academic year. Finn and Heather have joined us as interns from the University of St Andrew’s and Grace has joined us from Swansea University. In this interview Finn, Grace, and Heather share their experiences and highlights from their first three months as interns with Project Seagrass. What have you been up to during the first three months as interns with Project Seagrass? Heather: My time at Project Seagrass has been spent on a really diverse set of tasks so far, ranging from practical fieldwork out in North Wales, to desk jobs back at HQ analysing data or building equipment. One of my favourite jobs so far has been processing the seeds harvested in the summer. This task was based in the warehouse at HQ and involved separating the seeds from their protective seagrass sheaths using a water-tower. Apart from being a very satisfying job, doing this also allowed me to spend time looking at the infauna living among the vegetation and also to see, first-hand, the huge natural variation present in the seeds we are working with. In the end, we helped process over 1,000,000 seeds like this in the space of one month. Grace: Since starting I have assisted various projects within Project Seagrass, getting to know the team and building my knowledge base. Some of the major parts were aiding Isle of Wight and West Wales monitoring and mapping fieldworks, and processing seagrass seeds at HQ, as well as breaking down fieldwork data to analyse the results. In this short time I feel I have developed my confidence in field data collection and analysis, and am beginning to understand the precarious status of seagrass meadows in the UK. Finn: I have done so many different things since starting my internship with Project Seagrass – helping out with seed processing, building fieldwork equipment, visiting the nursery to help with monitoring the seagrass growing there, taking part in engagement events, and completing a review of the seagrass microbiome as well as various other tasks at HQ. A big part of my internship has also been going on fieldwork to the Isle of Wight every month to monitor restoration plots of seeds and transplants planted in the spring. What have been your highlights so far? Heather: My highlight so far was the sunny afternoon I spent surveying the seabed of the Cymyryn Strait by kayak. We found a really dense, healthy seagrass meadow there with all three British seagrass species present – it was also the first time I had ever seen Ruppia! Grace: My standout experience at the moment has to have been going on fieldwork in South and West Wales. Participating in mapping new sites for potential seagrass restoration is very satisfying, especially when I can plot out our GPS tracks on a map afterwards, and have a nice little record of where we’ve been. I’ve also enjoyed developing my programming knowledge with real data to make useful and interpretable figures. Finn: My highlight so far has definitely been going out on fieldwork and seeing my first seagrass meadow in the UK!! It was awesome to see the work Project Seagrass has done paying off and being able to see seagrass seedlings and transplants still surviving and growing. As well as the seagrass itself, I have seen some cool animals living within the seagrass. It can be a muddy, wet, and cold job but despite that fieldwork is still my favourite part of my internship. What are you looking forward to in 2025? Heather: At the moment, I am working towards setting up a controlled tank here, in HQ, in anticipation of the New Year when I will be beginning my undergraduate project. For this, I will be looking at the seeds we have processed in more detail, aiming to quantify their natural physical variation as well as determine if there are any links between this and the seeds’ ability to produce successful young plants. At the moment, this subject is not well resolved in the literature and so it will be great to push this knowledge boundary, even a little, and have the chance to continue working with the seeds I have already put so much energy into caring for. Grace: Moving into 2025, I’m looking forward to starting and linking together some smaller projects surrounding site characteristics. These include combining the physical parameters measured in different fieldworks at each site with background information to assess their suitability for seagrass restoration. As part of this, I’m excited to spend some time in the lab analysing site sediment samples and may also investigate programming models for site assessment. Finn: I’m looking forward to more fieldwork and taking part in the planting of seagrass seeds in the spring. Alongside the usual fieldwork, I am also going to be collecting data for my undergraduate project investigating the physical and biological factors that determine the distribution of seagrass on a fine and site-specific scale on the Isle of Wight. This data will help inform future decision making about selecting the best sites for seagrass restoration to hopefully increase the success of restoration. I have already collected some data, carrying out biotope mapping to characterise the habitats and species present alongside seagrass meadows and restoration sites. Each year Project Seagrass welcome a group on interns to develop their skills. These opportunities are available for students studying a university course that requires a year in industry as part of their studies and are advertised on our website. Keep an eye on our social media channels for announcements of future opportunities.
In 2024, Project Seagrass launched a new Fragment Walk initiative on the Isle of Wight to support community-based seagrass restoration as part of our work in the Solent. Seagrass Fragments Seagrass meadows are sensitive habitats which can be easily uprooted. As a result of storms or other disturbances, fragments of seagrass (individual seagrass plants with the rhizome or reproductive root and node system still intact) can become dislodged, uprooted, and washed up onto beaches. However, there is still an opportunity, for these plants to thrive by replanting the dislodged fragments. This presents a unique opportunity to involve the local community in seagrass planting at our Isle of Wight restoration sites. Seagrass meadows are critical and beautiful marine habitats that are essential for people and our planet. By undertaking active seagrass restoration on the Isle of Wight we can ensure that threatened and diminishing seagrass species can thrive, and additional fragment planting alongside our restoration efforts through advocacy and local community involvement presents an additional opportunity and involvement for all and reconnection to the seascape. Anouska Mendzil Project Seagrass Fragment Walks In spring 2024, we delivered a Fragment Walk pilot project where members of the public joined us to collect seagrass fragments at Priory Bay. This enabled us to gauge the level of interest for volunteer opportunities of this nature amongst the local Isle of Wight community. We were pleased to see positive uptake and interest in the initiative and went on to expand the project to include the following: A fragment collection point at St Helens A fragment walk to collect seagrass fragments A fragment preparation workshop Fragment planting at our restoration sites Monitoring our planted seagrass During the fragment preparation workshop, volunteers attach fragments to a pin using natural twine. This provides an anchor point for when the fragments are replanted, increasing the chances of re-establishment. During 2024 we have undertaken a total of 6 fragment walks, with 214 volunteers attending. We have also started to plant fragments in our restoration area at Priory Bay, Isle of Wight, with a total number of 329 fragments planted. Our fragment collection point is located at St Helens Duver (What3Words: invest.cropping.scatter). Fragment Collection Points In addition to our direct engagement through the Fragment Walks we have additionally installed two Fragment Collection Points in Sandown and St Helen’s. These collection points enable members of the public to collect and place seagrass fragments found on the beach into the fragment collection points, which can then be retrieved and replanted in local seagrass meadows and restoration sites. Project Seagrass in the Solent Project Seagrass is working to restore 3 hectares of seagrass on the Isle of Wight as part of the Solent Seascape Project alongside undertaking planting trials as part of the Seagrass Ocean Rescue: Solent programme. Fragment Walks enable us to engage with members of the local community and trial another approach to seagrass restoration on the Island. If you would like to set up and run your own fragment walks around the Solent or further afield we will be releasing this as a marine practitioner protocol in 2025. Keep an eye on our social media for the dates of future Fragment Walks or contact volunteers@projectseagrass.org to be kept informed about future opportunities.
We spoke to Moray Ocean Community about their volunteering in the Moray Firth area and how they integrate the SeagrassSpotter app into their activities. Read the full interview below: Can you tell us about Moray Ocean Community and how it started? Moray Ocean Community started to come together over two years ago when founding members were either looking for snorkelling buddies, interested in seagrass, or had read the NatureScot Community-led Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Handbook and wanted to join their local coastal community group but there wasn’t one in the Moray Firth area! Through some wonderful connections we got together and formed Moray Ocean Community. For our first year we were an informal volunteer group heading out to do snorkels, swims, and citizen science surveys. When we realised how many folk wanted to learn more about the coastline around the Moray Firth and that there was funding available we officially became a Community Interest Company in February 2024. Can you tell us about your volunteering and the groups and organisations you work with? We have completed surveys for a variety of citizen science projects including Seasearch, Project Seagrass’ SeagrassSpotter, Beachwatch, Big Seaweed Search, and Shorewatch. We are also the community collaborator for the Mossy Earth led restoration project Cromarty Seascape focusing on native oyster and seagrass restoration in the firths surrounding the Black Isle, and work closely with the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust on seagrass surveys in Findhorn Bay, as part of their Findhorn Watershed Initiative. All our seagrass survey data has been uploaded on to the NatureScot data platform as well as onto SeagrassSpotter. And of course we have fun! We get together for social events to enjoy being next to, on, or under the sea through swims and recreational snorkels and paddleboarding. We find SeagrassSpotter a really easy way to introduce seagrass and citizen science to volunteers and we have been learning a lot about it ourselves! It was fantastic to hear from the Project Seagrass experts at the training day in Findhorn earlier this year which covered the app and building on some other survey techniques including quadrats and transects. We have even used it beneath the water when we have been out with the local Burghead Sub-Aqua Club and from paddleboards! What are some of the challenges you face in your activities? As we are all volunteers it is sometimes a juggling act to get all the organising done like funding applications and we are currently working with Fauna and Flora to help us increase our capacity as an organisation which has involved strategy meetings and paperwork but we know it is all so important and worth it so we can get as many people out there learning and protecting the coast as possible. Can you share a success story or a milestone you are particularly proud of? We all really enjoyed supporting a citizen science taster day for students of the Inverness Royal Academy where we worked with partners to introduce three citizen science projects. One was with Whale and Dolphin Conservation to run Shorewatch whale and dolphin surveys (sadly all the dolphins turned up after the school bus left!). One was with ourselves Moray Ocean Community showing students how to use SeagrassSpotter on their phone and try some quadrat measuring. And the final one was with the Marine Conservation Society doing a beach litter survey. The students were fantastic and all our volunteers had a brilliant time and we would love to do more school engagement as we grow and get more folk learning and excited about seagrass! What activities have you got coming up and how can people get involved? We are always up for welcoming new volunteers to our Rising Tides whatsapp group – please do look out for us on social media (links below) and drop us a message to be added. We share swims, snorkels, surveys, and other information there while we work to get some funding to set ourselves up with a website and mailing list. We would like to say a huge thank you to Project Seagrass for all the support as we grow as a new organisation, from information and training to opportunities like sharing our story on your blog. We hope to see some visitors back to the Moray Firth soon! You can catch up with Moray Ocean Community‘s interview on the BBC Radio Scotland Out of Doors programmeand follow Moray Ocean Community on social media to find out more about their work and how to get involved: Facebook X-twitter Instagram
Scientists from the marine conservation charity Project Seagrass are undertaking seagrass planting experiments along the South & West Wales coastline, including a new planting site in Butetown along Cardiff’s Foreshore. Cardiff’s Foreshore is a popular place for sea-angling for species such as cod, which uses seagrass meadows as a nursery area. The Butetown site was identified as a potential location for seagrass restoration efforts based on the presence of small and isolated patches of existing seagrass growing naturally in the area. The scientists are using the experimental trials to explore the possibility of expanding these patches of seagrass for the benefit of biodiversity. Ben Jones, Chief Conservation Officer at Project Seagrass said, ‘We’ve known about these small patches of seagrass on the foreshore for some time, clinging on, in what looks and feels like quite an extreme site. There’s now huge potential to expand this and create a large and vibrant biodiverse space in this urban coastal environment.‘ Following site assessments and monitoring of the current seagrass patches over the last couple of years, Project Seagrass began small-scale seagrass planting trials earlier this year. 60,000 seagrass seeds, collected from a much larger seagrass meadow in Porthdinllaen in North Wales, were planted out on the foreshore in May, alongside 75 seagrass plants transplanted from a donor meadow in Llanelli. Emma Fox, South & West Wales Project Lead at Project Seagrass said, ‘The foreshore may not look like your typical site for a seagrass meadow, but exploring restoration within the shadow of Cardiff’s industrial past is an exciting, if challenging, opportunity to learn more about this versatile plant.” The scientists at Project Seagrass used experimental methods that have shown success in other parts of Wales, but unfortunately, initial monitoring has shown that the seeds and transplants planted in May mostly failed. A further 75 seagrass plants planted out in Llanelli at the same time were still present so the team will now use these failings as a learning exercise to devise new methods for use in the foreshore’s challenging environment. The planting on the Foreshore forms part of a wider programme of work to investigate sites along the South & West Wales coastline to identify and trial suitable restoration areas. The programme of work is delivered by Project Seagrass in partnership with Swansea University and with funding from Heritage Fund in partnership with Welsh Government; Wasserman Live; Rebel Restoration; and Ozone. To register interest for future volunteering opportunities as part of this programme please contact: volunteers@projectseagrass.org
Earlier this month Project Seagrass’ Senior Conservation Officer Katy Waring attended the yearly gathering for coastal communities from the Coastal Communities Network facilitated by Fauna and Flora International. The event was held on the island of Millport at their field studies centre. The 3-day event was inspiring; groups from around Scotland showcased their projects, held skill-sharing workshops, and collectively unpacked common challenges such as funding, advocacy, and management to explore collaborative solutions. Project Seagrass Trustee Rosslyn Barr was also in attendance with her project Edinburgh Shoreline. Rosslyn shared Edinburgh Shoreline’s story, including their part in Restoration Forth and news of an exciting new project they are developing looking at blue mussels. Many of the seagrass groups were in attendance, providing an opportunity to catch up and explore opportunities for collaboration in 2025. As part of the gathering, Katy delivered a pilot of a new survey developed as part of “Accelerate Seagrass” a new collaborative programme with Climate Impact Partners, Deloitte, and the National Oceanography Centre. The survey aims to connect with local ecological knowledge around Scotland on both current and historical seagrass and to understand localised drivers of decline. This data will help identify areas for tailored conservation and restoration work from a social-ecological perspective ensuring resilience of projects. Katy gathered valuable feedback from members of COAST, CROMACH, Eigg Environmental Action Group, and CLP nature action which will be used to inform further development of the survey. Thanks to these projects for their feedback, we are looking forward to sharing the final piece with you soon. The breadth of positive action delivered by these mostly voluntary ran community groups was inspiring and highlights the power of community. Thanks to the team at Fauna and Flora International for inviting us and the work they do supporting these groups to flourish. Find out more about the organisations in attendance: Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) Young Sea Changers Scotland Carna Conservation Initiative Clean Coast Outer Hebrides Dunoon Development Trust Kintyre Coastal Network Fair Isle Marine Research Organisation (FIMRO) CLP Nature Action Eriboll Community Craignish Restoration of Marine and Coastal Habitats (CROMACH) Eigg Environmental Action Group Moray Ocean Community East Have Together Edinburgh Shoreline Friends of Sound of Jura Fairlie Coastal Community Association of Lochs and Sounds (CAOLAS) Argyll Hope Spot The Scottish Coastal Clean Up Skye Seas Survey Initiative Friends of Loch Hourn
Climate Impact Partners and Deloitte, in collaboration with Project Seagrass and the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, announce a groundbreaking program to fund UK seagrass recovery and unlock long-term finance to save and reinstate vital seagrass meadows. The program will fund critical research across UK seagrass meadows, mapping the ecosystems and developing methods to restore them at scale. Crucially, this work will support the development of a new seagrass carbon code in the UK and beyond – enabling companies to finance seagrass recovery at greater speed and scale. Despite seagrass’ crucial role in sequestering carbon, protecting coastlines, and supporting marine biodiversity; seagrass restoration has been underfunded, with nearly a third of seagrass lost globally in the last century. This program will look to address the barriers that prevent finance flowing to seagrass restoration, including improving the scientific knowledge of carbon sequestration, piloting new techniques for seagrass propagation and engaging communities in meadow restoration. This program forms a key part of Deloitte’s Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM) activities, supporting innovative solutions outside their value chain. Deloitte is using skills, influence and targeted investment to catalyze environmental and social impact across the energy transition, circularity, sustainable food systems and nature restoration. “Reaching net-zero will require the global economy to decarbonize as part of a connected system,” said Smruti Naik-Jones, Chief Sustainability Officer of Deloitte UK and North & South Europe. “This incredible seagrass program, developed by Climate Impact Partners, enables us to learn more about these marine ecosystems, fund critical research and help unlock a powerful tool in the fight against the climate crisis.” “Deloitte is demonstrating true climate leadership through this program. Seagrass offers a unique opportunity to mitigate climate change while delivering significant co-benefits for biodiversity and coastal communities,” said Kirsty Schneeberger, Head of Product Innovation at Climate Impact Partners. “Imagine seagrass meadows as underwater vaults – they lock away enormous amounts of carbon for long periods, potentially millennia, as long as they remain healthy and undisturbed. We need to ensure they receive long-term and large-scale financing to accelerate the restoration and protection of these underwater wonders.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sEISirUSn0 “We need to protect and restore seagrass whilst supporting the continuation of sustainable human activities that occur amongst or depend directly upon seagrass ecosystems”, said Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, Chief Executive Officer and Charity Co-Founder, Project Seagrass. “We need to do this now, as a connected global community. This program helps to deliver this.” “Seagrass meadows are the powerhouses of coastal seas providing a nature-based solution to climate change, said Dr Claire Evans, Biogeochemist, the UK’s National Oceanography Centre. “They have been neglected for decades, which has led to their large-scale degradation and loss. This program exemplifies how we can turn that loss into an opportunity for environmental renewal through large-scale restoration.” In coordination with Project Seagrass, a team of volunteers from Deloitte and Climate Impact Partners helped harvest seedlings from a healthy seagrass meadow for the recovery program.
The Seagrass Ocean Rescue North Wales programme relies on the commitment and enthusiasm of local volunteers. We spoke to regular volunteer Neil about his experiences of volunteering as part of the programme. Volunteer Interview Tell us a little bit about yourself: I grew up in North Wales, then moved around a lot during a career in the automotive industry. After Covid, there was an opportunity to step out and do something different, so it was time to do things I wanted to do rather than had to do. How did you first get involved with the seagrass restoration community project? I’d seen the team operating in Porthdinllaen , read about it, and started to preach about it to anyone that was unfortunate to be in hearing range! Then there was a stroke of luck and I managed to inflict myself upon the boat crew for a few days. What are your hopes for this restoration work? That the word spreads, that more people who don’t mean to negatively affect the environment can learn not to, and that I can keep visiting the areas that we are developing and planting to see them flourish and provide a starting base for more wildlife to move in. It’s great to see how quickly nature can respond, given a chance. I’ve learnt that it’s very subtle changes we make that can help or hinder the natural environment. What inspired you to get involved, what drives your commitment to this cause? I’d just semi-retired, had wandered past the boat team working in Porthdinllaen, did some reading, started to tell others about it, then it was a lucky break to be involved in one of the boat teams. Then it just got out of control from there really! I go snorkelling, boating, and diving and I get frustrated when I see the natural environment being needlessly abused, so this is just one way to try and stop that. The amazing areas of the world provide lots of fun, inspiration and happiness for so many people, sometimes the consequence is pressure on the very thing we go to see, by providing more of those areas then it’s good for everyone. What does it mean to you to spend time in nature, what do you feel nature provides you with? It’s great to see how quickly nature can respond, given a chance. I’ve learnt that it’s very subtle changes we make that can help or hinder the natural environment. What seagrass restoration activities have you taken part in? So far, planting both seeds and shoots, harvesting new seeds and monitoring. Learning from the different team members, chatting with ambassadors and meeting other people that are getting involved. What part of this restoration work are you most proud of? I think it’s the planting, because when we go back to monitor progress and after only a few months we see that nature has already started to move in, then that’s a good thing. The Seagrass Ocean Rescue Project is managed by WWF, in partnership with Project Seagrass, the North Wales Wildlife Trust, Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Swansea University. The project is made possible with support from funders that include the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Moondance Foundation. If you would like to volunteer as part of the project contact volunteers@projectseagrass.org Principal Funders Partners
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. Restoration Forth August Fieldwork | Seagrass highlights from Orkney The seagrass team are not long back from Orkney, where they spent just under a month conducting this year’s seagrass seed harvest as part of the Restoration Forth August fieldwork. Many snorkel sessions were conducted to harvest seed baring reproductive shoots to further drive our restoration trials here in the Forth. Despite the fair-weather conditions and ample snorkel sessions the team have returned with slightly less material than what was collected last year. However, this should not prohibit our restoration ambitions next spring. Whilst in Orkney the team were able to deliver a range of community events, which included participating in this year’s Stromness shopping week. MSPs Ariane Burgess and Liam McArthur joined Restoration Forth’s community snorkel sessions in Orkney where, along with members of the local community, they met the team and learned about how projects like Restoration Forth aim to restore nature and drive future restoration. Increasing knowledge amongst elected representatives about the importance of these habitats is an important part of highlighting the need for the Scottish Government to bring forward legislation to protect and restore Scotland’s nature. In addition to the seeds collected from Orkney, the team will be visiting the Moray Firth. In the first week of September the team will meet up Mossy Earth and Moray Ocean Community to organise an intertidal seagrass pick. This community and knowledge exchange intends to bring our projects closer together and further our collective knowledge. Intertidal seeds gathered from the Moray coast will provide insights into whether there are differences in germination rates between subtidal and intertidal seeds. Newhaven Oyster Mural is going ahead! We are pleased to announce that the Oyster Mural planned for the Heart of Newhaven’s Anchor building has been granted planning permission. Thank you to everyone who was involved in workshopping ideas for the design, including Victoria Primary school. Natasha Russell, Edinburgh based illustrator and mural artist, has created the design to incorporate many of the local species that people expressed an interest in. The mural aims to engage passers by with the wonders of local biodiversity. Captured within the oyster shells in the design, there are scenes and stories that represent the cultural importance of oysters in the Forth, including the fishing of, and release of oysters into the water. It celebrates the oyster’s return to the Forth and their key role within the local ecosystems, whilst acknowledging the deep local history with the oyster fishing trade. The mural will be painted in September. Come along to the Doors Open Day at the Heart of Newhaven on the 28th September at 11.00, to see the unveiling of the mural.
Read our fieldwork notes from our summer seagrass seed collection: North Wales Seed Collection A brilliant start to our annual seed collections, with summer finally arriving right on time! The weather has been fantastic, with underwater visibility not too far off 10m, and not a drop of rain so far… Here’s hoping it holds out until next week! It’s been a very busy start, but here’s just a few of the highlights: Day 0.5 – Day 1 | Saturday 27th – Sunday 28thAfter arriving in good time on Saturday afternoon and launching Gwen with no troubles, the team spent Sunday morning moving all our equipment into Cabin Gryff and Gwen, before setting up the temporary seed storage tanks. We then went through a few rescue refreshers. The dive team set up the keep nets on the RNLI buoys, which will be home to all the seeds collected by both teams during the trip. The team practiced diver recovery drills, before finishing the day with a first seed collection dive The snorkel team went out seed collecting, but having missed the morning Low Tide, learnt the hard way that duck diving for seeds is rather tiring! Day 2 | Monday 29thThe snorkel team, led by Amel, started the day as they will throughout the trip, with seed tank water changes! They then had a far more successful seed collection snorkel, bagging plenty of seeds. Charles has also started his VR footage collection using the 360 camera, capturing some fantastic images of the meadow. Fingers crossed some fun species ‘take the bait’. Meanwhile, Manning has been sampling sites as part of his Masters project, with the help of Richard, who has been out flying the drone round the LLyn, taking advantage of the clear skys! The dive team completed three meadow health surveys, which will help us assess the current state of the Porthdinllaen meadow, and monitor any potential impact of our seed collections going forward. We were joined by Katie Dubois, a lecturer at Bangor University, who helped with our afternoon seed collection dives. The meadow is bursting with seeds, so we should be set for a good collection! Day 3 | Tuesday 30thThe snorkel team had their best collection yet today, and were in the water battling the cold for a good 4 hours! Another big haul of seeds! The dive team ticked off half the mechanisation surveys, which will help wrap up the mechanisation project. We then went seed collecting, whilst dropping down Charles’s VR camera to catch some footage. Day 4 | 31st JulyWe arrived early to set up our stand ready for our FIRST volunteers. We also welcomed our Ambassador Miranda Krestovnikoff. Day 5 | 1st AugustOne quick water change later and we’re back in the water! We started by taking the VR camera out to get a series of snorkeling shots through and coming out of the seagrass meadow before placing down for an hour-long shot. We then proceeded to pick seeds joined by Leanne and Miranda. Once again, a perfect dive, with pristine waters and life abundant. To end our day off we did a quick evening session with the VR camera. It was an amazing shoot with many fish species and a perfect way to end the day. Day 6 | 2nd AugustToday we rested. Day 7 | 3rd AugustAfter an excellent rest day we proceeded to begin our week of volunteer seed collections. We started the day by transporting volunteer divers off before getting everything prepared for the snorkel volunteers. The day went brilliantly, with all snorkelers/waders returning, smiling and with happy faces. We chatted, and met so many fantastic people! Day 8 | 4th AugustOnce again, Amel and Emma were up bright and early to transport volunteer divers before joining the rest of the day. We joined WWF for a Philanthropy Day, a day for all of our donors and backers. The day started with a quick meal before returning to set up all equipment and stand ready to take our donors for a quick snorkel. All came back with smiles and a successful day all around. The dive team been out every day for seed collections, seed collections, seed collections! Jake Davies and Neil Shone have joined throughout, and we had Dr Katie Dubois (Bangor University) with us again on Sunday! Day 9 | 5th AugustA windy and rainy storm has scarpered all snorkelling activities! We’ve all but finished the mechanisation trial surveys (there’s a few buoys missing so we may have to return and drop shot lines on the coordinates). The best news is there are still lots of seeds coming up after every dive! We’ve all but filled three keepnets (the total we managed last year), so hopefully we should be well on target for 1.5 million by the end of the trip! We’ll be out to install another keepnet tomorrow. Volunteers divers have also been joining since Saturday, with great feedback from all. Day 10 | 6th AugustToday was the first of our snorkel and wading volunteering sessions and it went really well! We were joined by 51 volunteers including WWF, Iwan Rheon, the Crown Estate, North Wales Wildlife Trust (with their Youth Forum and Interns) alongside lots of Project Seagrass volunteers! BBC joined us and interviewed Leanne and Rich! The dive team carried out two more dives (for me at least) with lots of seeds collected. We are into our fourth keepnet of seeds, which exceeds last year’s total already, and we’re hopeful the reproductive shoots are bearing more seeds than previous years too. Day 11 | 7th AugustCharles, Andrew, and volunteer Antje headed to Porthdinllaen this morning to capture more footage for the VR Project while Andrew and Corinne headed to Hafan y Mor to install a seagrass information sign. Another successful snorkel and wading volunteering session delivered in the afternoon/early evening. Over 30 volunteers joined us including representatives from the Crown Estate, WWF, and North Wales Wildlife Trust. BBC Radio Cymru joined to interview members of the
Seagrass meadows are essential for the health of our oceans. They provide vital habitats for marine life, improve water quality, and store significant amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, these vital ecosystems are in decline. Here at Project Seagrass, we are on a mission to restore seagrass meadows to help create a healthier world and protect against the impacts of climate change. To achieve this, we are partnering with Tandem Ventures to develop an underwater seagrass seed harvester to help us to more efficiently collect seagrass seeds and scale up the restoration process. In order to do this, we need your help. We need to raise £30,000 to design, develop, and test this innovative new technology. Supporting our Crowdfunder will make seagrass restoration faster, more efficient, and scalable. Donate Today The Problem Currently, seagrass seed collection relies on divers using scissors – a slow and labour-intensive process. This bottleneck limits large-scale restoration efforts. We need to invent a new and radically better method this summer, while the seagrass is producing seeds. Time is ticking! Our Solution: The Underwater Seagrass Seed Harvester Key Features Automated Operation: Operates far more efficiently, reducing the need for manual labour. Efficient Collection: Gently harvests seeds without damaging the seagrass beds. Boat-Towed Design: Causes minimal disturbance to the seabed while covering large areas quickly. Adjustable: Key elements of the design can be adjusted to most efficiently collect Seagrass seeds in differing environments. Open-Source Design: Thoroughly documented and shareable plans, allowing replication and application worldwide. Join Us in Making a Difference We need to raise £30,000 to make this vision a reality. If we meet our target, the £30,000 will be allocated as follows: £6,500 for design, research and prototyping £15,000 for building the seagrass seed harvester £2,500 for documentation, and £6,000 for testing and iteration. Your support is crucial for the future of our oceans. By backing this project, you’re investing in innovative technology and a healthier planet. Together, we can restore seagrass meadows and protect marine life for generations to come. Donate via our Crowdfunder. Donate Today
