One man went to sow
Guest blog by Mike Furness about his experience as a volunteer during seagrass planting week. It was smelly; it was noisy; it was heavy; it was cold. It was buzzing, vibrant and invigorating. Overwhelmingly it was about camaraderie, enthusiasm and shared purpose, and all set on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast. At the end of February, I was privileged to be one of thirty or forty volunteers (the numbers varied daily) playing their individual parts in the climax act of a long-running, seagrass drama. We were going to help to sow a seagrass meadow, not just a small patch but a whole ‘field’. The logistics are daunting to think about; everything from feeding and accommodating the team to previously organising hundreds of school children to fill and tie 20,000 small bags on to 20km of ropes. Not to mention the harvesting and preparation of ¾ of a million seeds. An astounding effort. It would be wrong to say that everything ran flawlessly, but this is fieldwork and coping with the unexpected is part of the art behind the science, and the team coped magnificently. Immense teamwork both on land and at sea to get the seeds planted. I was first introduced to seagrass by taking too close an interest in my daughter’s marine biology studies. Her thesis involved endless hours of studying underwater video of seagrass beds and sometimes I was allowed to help. I don’t think that anyone could watch the multitude of life in a good sward without becoming an advocate for the importance of this vital habitat. So, when Evie, my daughter, first mentioned the meadow-sowing project and that volunteers were needed, I knew I had to be part of it. Arriving at Fort Dale on a crisp, blowy morning, with the wind at our backs, the smell wasn’t immediately apparent. The first impression was of organisation and industry; already half a dozen teams were bound together by their ropes, busily spooning seeds into pouches, topping them up, watering them and passing them on to the packer to carefully coil into a crate ready for soaking and dispatch to the boat team. Crates were rolling off the production line every few minutes, amid lots of banter and a backing track of 80’s pop classics. The productivity was impressive, but a quick glimpse into the temporary crate store quickly put this in perspective; this was a mammoth task. So, time to get stuck in. Mike getting ‘stuck in’. Quick introductions and we were underway. Conversation develops as the task gets familiar. “Where are you from? What has brought you here? Are you studying, employed, retired? What do you do?” Being thrown into a group of thirty or more would be difficult. Working four or five to a rope quickly establishes relationships – friendships – everyone knew the value of the task, everyone wanted to be there, there’s a shared purpose, a common goal, and everyone is freely giving of their time and enthusiasm. And with lots of jobs to do, there is an easy swapping of roles and ropes and before long you know everyone. For someone like me who spends his working life as a one-man band, the teamwork was a breath of fresh air. Ah, yes, the ‘fresh air’… Adding the smelly seeds. The seeds had been harvested in late summer and needed to spend several months rotting out of the harvested grass before being sown. By late February, they were ripe for planting and being kept in their own dedicated fridge. If you’ve ever walked through a geothermal area amidst the steam of fumaroles, you will know the smell that hits you when that fridge door is opened! It’s pungent. It’s sulphurous. It’s clinging. But, you know what, by the end of the day it virtually disappears. And on the morning of day two, when it hits you again, you begin to realise – that’s the smell of success, bring it on. Would I do it again, spend four days with a great bunch of people, in a beautiful location, working together to achieve something so important? Hmm, let me think about it! Mike
Seagrass citizen science: investigations into a potential seagrass saviour
A guest blogger? But why should I bother reading what he has to say? Well here’s a bit about me…. Originally hailing from Melton Mowbray, a small town in the middle of England known solely for producing pork pies and stilton cheese, my initial foray into marine science began with any other child’s obsession with the beach. My parents often remind me that after hours of poking around in rockpools and catching crabs I would throw tantrums when it was time to leave the coast and return to my landlocked home. As I became older and words like career and jobs became ever more prevalent in my life, I began searching for the holy grail of adult life, a job which I genuinely enjoyed. This search led me to undertake a Bachelor’s degree in Coastal Marine Biology in the now non-existent Scarborough Campus of the University of Hull; I should clarify that my class was the last year to graduate from that tiny seaside town before the satellite campus shut down. It was during my time as an undergraduate researching in the Aegean Sea that I first encountered seagrass ecosystems and immediately fell in love. Seagrasses are the only true marine angiosperm (flowing plants) and have been described by Professor Carlos Duarte (a famous seagrass scientist) as ugly duckling ecosystems. After returning from that career changing trip all my subsequent assessments were targeted towards seagrasses as I endeavoured to learn all I could about their function, ecology and reproduction. A room with a view… daily scenery when completing Aegean seagrass surveys. This obsession permeated through to my Master’s degree at the University of York in Marine Environmental Management where my supervisor shared a passion for these underappreciated ecosystems; it seemed fate had brought two seagrass nerds together at last. As I continued through the MSc with a specific focus on seagrasses when possible there came a time where I had to find an external placement partner to complete my second thesis with. Being still constrained firmly to the student financial situation I did not have the prospect of travelling to far flung places as some of my peers. However, this hardly mattered as my first choice was to work with the only active group of seagrass researchers in the UK, Project Seagrass! After finalising the logistics of the project and “upping sticks” to Cardiff in mid-July I now right this blog post sat at a desk in Project Seagrass HQ nestled in a surprisingly sunny Cardiff. But that’s enough about me, let’s talk seagrass citizen science! The project I am completing investigates the motivations, benefits, barriers and changes in knowledge associated with taking part in seagrass citizen science projects, specifically SeagrassSpotter and Seagrass-Watch (follow the links if you want to learn more about these projects). More broadly the project sets out to discover who is taking part, why they take part and when they take part. The project itself is being co-managed by myself and Isadora Sinha of Cardiff University who is heading up the demographics (the who) associated with the project. Throughout the project we utilised an online questionnaire which has been disseminated to current users of SeagrassSpotter, Seagrass Watch, and various seagrass-based email and social media groups (yes seagrass Facebook groups exist, if you’re interested you should join one). Given that citizen science, the participation of non-scientists in scientific research, has been labelled as a source of large data sets across varied space and time, seagrass citizen science has the potential to alleviate some of the primary threats these ecosystems face. Talking all things seagrass citizen science at a workshop organised by Cardiff University. Seagrasses are thought to be declining at around 7% a year, with declines primarily due to changes in water quality and increases in suspended sediments which reduce the ability of the plant to photosynthesise by blocking available sunlight. Additionally, researchers have little idea of local spatial coverages of seagrasses due in no short part to a chronic lack of public awareness of their existence; a concept which doesn’t apply to more charismatic ecosystems such as coral reefs. This decline represents not only the loss of a beautiful marine habitat (see the photo below if you don’t believe me) but also the services these ecosystems provide. Seagrasses are present on the coastal fringes of almost all continents worldwide where their presence promotes high primary and fisheries productivity, in turn supporting food security worldwide. You know the cod that forms an integral part of your chippy tea? Well it probably spent a good part of its juvenile years living in and around seagrass meadows. Seagrasses also add 3D structure to muddy bottoms, enhancing sediment capture which stabilises coastlines against erosion and acts to trap carbon dioxide helping to combat climate change. It is therefore hoped that by better understanding why people take part in seagrass citizen science we can reduce barriers to participation and increase public awareness and conservation of these crucial ecosystems. The project also represents the first time these topics have been studied in a seagrass specific context so will provide much needed insight into the finer state of seagrass citizen science. For a global review of seagrass citizen science see this article led by Project Seagrass Director Benjamin Jones (sorry, it’s not open access). At the time of writing the survey has been sent to over 1000 people and has been completed around 60 times. This may not seem like a worthwhile return, but such a small number of responses is common among online surveys. Results from the survey are being collated currently and will be prepared ready for my MSc thesis submission in early September. So, watch this space for seagrass updates! Together we can promote conservation and raise awareness of seagrasses to help this ugly duckling become beautiful swan.
2020 Biodiversity agenda: Can we make a difference?
Hello Team Seagrass! My name is Laura and I am an ambassador for Project Seagrass. I completed my professional training year with the conservation charity from 2015-2016. Last week I was privileged to attend the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Panel Discussion on Setting a new post-2020 biodiversity agenda. The 2-hour lecture/interactive question and answer session at the University of Cambridge, focused on what scientists and the world needs to do ahead of the 2020 Beijing Biodiversity conference, in which many hope will have the same impact on biodiversity as the Paris agreement has had on climate change. Why is biodiversity important? Species are declining at unprecedented rates, with the loss of some species such as corals, mangroves and seagrass threating the existence of habitats and ecosystems. Biodiversity is often overlooked in comparison to climate change and the growing fight against plastic pollution as you can’t necessarily see the physical effects. However, national governments are starting to recognise its importance, with 17% of the world’s land and 10% of the world’s oceans agreed to be protected by 2020. But is this enough? We heard a call from Dr Christina Pasca-Palmer for “50% by 2050” The first talk was given by Dr Christina Pasca-Palmer, the Executive Secretary of the UN Biodiversity Convention and she strongly disagreed with the current state of protection, suggesting how 50% of the Earth should be conserved, or restored by 2050. We want to be “living in harmony with nature” and the remaining 50% should be transformed to be made more sustainable in terms on consumption and efficiency. Steps to achieve this include business and political engagement and raising the profile of Biodiversity, which will hopefully be implemented at the 2020 Beijing Biodiversity conference. The panel discussed the current problems they face in conserving biodiversity. The second part of the session focused on the panel discussion where experts discussed the current problems they face in conserving biodiversity and how they may overcome these before the 2020 Bejing Biodiversity conference. The panel included Dr Christina Pasca-Palmer, Alice Jay (campaign director for Avaaz), Patricia Zurita (CEO of Birdlife), Prudence Galega (Secretary General in the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development in Cameroon) and Dr Helen Crowley (Head of Sustainable Sourcing And innovation at Kering group). It was inspiring, not only to see an entirely female panel but to hear their views on what needs to be done. “The world has changed…” according to Sir David Attenborough Finally, Sir David Attenborough gave his closing remarks on the afternoon, saying how the world has changed since his time at the University of Cambridge, with the population tripling in size and having severe consequences on biodiversity. He highlighted how “there is no single solution”, with different communities experiencing different problems. However, with gatherings such as the Panel Discussion and the upcoming 2020 Beijing Biodiversity conference, the world has a “cause for optimism” for the conservation of biodiversity. #OurNatureOurFuture Urgent action is needed to safeguard life on Earth, from iconic endangered species such as the white rhino to our precious seagrass meadows. As Dr Pasca-Palmer said, “with the collective will and determination from all of us it is still possible”. If you are interested in learning more about the panel discussion an online version of the event is available: http://ow.ly/pY5I30jvT2g
A Symphony For Scottish Seagrass
Hello Team Seagrass! I am Rufus, a volunteer with Project Seagrass and a marine biology graduate from the University of St Andrews. Since graduating in June 2017, I have begun working for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Connect team and the University of St Andrews’ Music Centre. In this split position, I get to enjoy the benefits of working with extraordinary artists and musicians across the country to inspire babies, toddlers, children, students and adults to get more involved with the music in the community around them. There are so many educational opportunities provided by both the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the University of St Andrews. Through its Connect programme, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra interacts with over 10,000 people each year through a vast array of activities. Both the staff and the musicians of the orchestra are extremely driven to reach new audiences all the time, not only to encourage interaction with music in the future but also, in some cases, to improve quality of life. There are so many educational opportunities that can be provided through music. Photo Credit – Fraser Band The Music Centre at the University St Andrews has also led some fantastic workshops throughout local schools in Fife with some of the excellent artists that come to the town to perform. One of the University’s initiatives that I have been involved in is Music Planet. This is a platform that promotes the combination of the arts with global environmental issues to enhance the power of the message that is conveyed, and also to engage new audiences. Music is a fundamental part of human culture, irrespective of where you come from or what your background is. There aren’t many people who don’t enjoy listening to some form of music, either when they are travelling, working, cooking, cleaning or as any other part of their day. I believe that because of this, music has the most potential in interdisciplinary education. Using music, and getting an audience to be involved with music and music making, will help to engage them with any subject. Music making can help children and adults to engage with any subject. Photo Credit – Fraser Band One of the easiest combinations that can be made is music and nature because, in nature, music is all around anyway. The natural soundscape has endless capabilities that can be tapped into to expand the possibilities of what you are teaching. In March, I will be co-leading a SCO workshop, with SCO violin Aisling O’Dea, for primary schools in Fife in conjunction with Project Seagrass and Music Planet from the University of St Andrews. A team of musicians from the orchestra and volunteers from Project Seagrass will provide a day workshop for pupils at primary schools centered around the children’s story, “The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson. This excellent book tells the story of a snail that seeks to see the world and journeys across the oceans on the tail of a humpback whale. In the end, it is an endearing story of community and self-worth. In March, I will be co-leading a SCO workshop, with SCO violin Aisling O’Dea, for primary schools in Fife in conjunction with Project Seagrass and Music Planet from the University of St Andrews. Photo Credit – Fraser Band The day will be centered around this story’s characters and the music that was written to accompany the story. Various activities throughout the day will involve the children in the scientific background behind important environmental issues whilst providing them the opportunity to get involved with the music making themselves. At this important tipping point, the future of the planet as we know it relies on the engagement of the public all over the world. Music can help to broaden the prospects of domestic and international education campaigns to make that change. Rufus If you would like to follow more of my activity, I have recently started a personal challenge and campaign to reduce my impact on the environment – #Green18. In my attempt to complete this challenge, I will write regular blog posts to document my success and any obstacles I have encountered along the way. Follow online @ www.green18.org Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GreenEighteen/ Instagram @ www.instagram.com/_green_18/ Twitter @ www.twitter.com/_Green_18 You can find out more about the Scottish Chamber Orchestra or music in St Andrews below: Follow online: st-andrews.ac.uk/music/ sco.org.uk Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/scottishchamberorchestra/ www.facebook.com/UniversityofStAndrewsMusicCentre/ Follow on Twitter: @SCOmusic @StAndrewsMusic
What a way to celebrate World Environment Day!
WOW! I only went and ran THREE marathons in SIX weeks! TODAY, on non-other than World Environment Day (WED), I am SO happy to have completed the challenge I set down for myself, and to have raised over £1,700 for Project Seagrass to continue their great work. What an amazing way to celebrate World Environment Day! World Environment Day occurs on 5 June every year, and is the United Nation’s primary medium for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. The theme for World Environment Day 2017 is ‘Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator’. It seems a poignant theme for me this year, having just ran these last two weeks through some of the finest examples of cities that are connected to nature anywhere in the world. Edinburgh boasts the most green space of the UK’s largest cities. At 49.2%, almost half of the Scottish capital boasts parks and green land, and Sweden’s capital Stockholm, with its 1.5 million inhabitants, is today recognised as one of the greenest and most beautiful metropolitan areas in Europe. There is so much green space in Stockholm that you don’t always know you are in a city! In Edinburgh a great effort has been made by the Scottish Wildlife Trusts and the City of Edinburgh Council to create, restore and connect green areas of the city in order to make the city more attractive and biodiverse. This concept has been touted as a ‘Living Landscape’ which focusses on ‘managing land at the ecosystem-scale to benefit people, wildlife and the economy’ A successful Living Landscape is one with a network of healthy, resilient ecosystems supporting all forms of life. Ecosystem health is restored and society benefits fully from the vital services that ecosystems provide. It’s my impression that this is pretty much the same idea that Project Seagrass has for coastal ecosystems globally… The idea that we need to protect and restore the seagrass in our ‘Living Seascapes ’ to ensure that all the benefits that the coasts provide for us are maintained! I’m proud to be signing off today having been successful in my #ThreeBeforeThirty challenge, and in having raised both funds (much needed!), and the profile (hopefully) of Project Seagrass too! It was certainly a challenge! Running the Stockholm Marathon was hard because I only ran the Edinburgh Marathon six days ago! But the journey to raise the profile of seagrass doesn’t stop here. Richard Unsworth has taken on the baton and is running the Snowdonia Marathon in October! If you have any fundraising ideas, or ways that you think we can raise the profile of seagrass meadows then I know the Project Seagrass team are all ears! Just send an email to hello@projectseagrass.org It was so good to have the support of Richard and Sarah for the final marathon! Remember, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy… (or sporty!) even just talking about seagrass makes a difference! So this is me, signing off… I know any last minute sponsorship would be GREATLY APPRECIATED! – http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SJPopester Over and out! SJ x
Talking about Plastic Pollution during EU Green Week
Kayaking on the Isle of Skye’s lochs you feel as though you’re a million miles from civilisation; back to basics with wildlife flitting about you and crystal clear waters to peer into. There’s no rumble in your ear of background traffic noise or aeroplanes going overhead. Just you, your paddling buddy and the creatures that decide to make themselves known. Feeling completely remote on Loch Eishort. Being somewhere that appeared so untouched by man is a luxury hardly ever come across in the modern day, but the illusion was burst as we stopped at a beach at the top of Loch Eishort. The place was awash with tropical blue – bright blue nets and ropes, tubs and wrappers. A sea of rubbish. Mixed in were huge buoys washed up from the mussel farm across the loch. You can’t help but wonder why the farmer doesn’t make the less than five-minute boat ride across the loch to retrieve them, rather than splashing out on new ones? Doesn’t he / she worry for the health of the mussels with that much rubbish just the other side? Mussels are filter feeders, taking in any particles in the water, including degrading plastic. A glimpse of the rubbish at the top of Loch Eishort. But it’s not just the top of Loch Eishort where we were shocked. Camasunary is a bay on the Isle of Skye only accessible by boat or walking a few kilometres over a rocky track. Reaching it you expect to be isolated from the world, but instead we were greeted with all of man’s rubbish. (On a more positive note, we did find some seagrass washed up in with the rubbish, so hopefully there’s a healthy bed close by!). An uninhabited island. It makes stories such as Henderson Island, one of the world’s most remote islands, having been found to have nearly 18 tonnes of plastic weighing it down, sadly, less shocking. If we can leave this much mess in areas where we can get to, then there’s no surprise that it’s spreading to places where humans should never be. Our way of thinking needs to change. Plastics are not a onetime thing, we need to reduce the amount we use and reuse everything else. The plastic bag charge was one small step in the right direction, but we need a lot more. Choose veg without tonnes of wrapping, try to avoid one use coffee cups, retrieve that buoy instead of buying a new one; small changes will add up. Let’s try to save those last few untouched havens. Thanks for reading! Evie
One marathon down… Two to go! Next stop Edinburgh!
Well, Sunday 23rd April came and went and… I DID IT! All those long runs, early mornings and late evenings were worth it. All that snow, rain and sleet…All in the name of Project Seagrass – my #ReasonToRun! There was a good buzz about the London Marathon. I completed the London Marathon in a time of 4hrs and 2 minutes. I’m so relieved to have made it round in one piece… I really can’t believe I’ve ran my first marathon after all these months of training! I just want to thank everyone who has sponsored me so far! http/uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SJPopester However, it’s not over yet! My personal nemesis is my home marathon, and the one that I am most looking forward to doing! I trained for Edinburgh in 2012 and was on the final big 22-mile run when I tripped over a root of a tree and injured my IT band. Devastated. The Edinburgh Marathon (28th May) is now just a little under 3 weeks away and so there has been a nice gap between the first two marathons. It’s allowed me to take a break and recover, and join Director RJ on a little seagrass hunt around the Scottish West Coast. The Scottish Coast is incredible.The waters are crystal clear which is perfect for seagrass spotting! However, I think the real challenge for me now is not just completing the Edinburgh Marathon, but will be in recovering from Edinburgh and getting ready for the Stockholm Marathon (June 3rd) just a week later! This is going to be especially difficult since I am flying back to Edinburgh after the marathon on Saturday so I can help run the Tour de Forth event taking place on Sunday 4th June! Busy busy! I don’t want to look too far ahead but I am excited about the ‘Grand Finale’ in Stockholm. It means I will have overcome Edinburgh and have completed my #ThreeBeforeThirty challenge! Until then, I guess I have a few more pavements to pound! If there is a city to rival Edinburgh’s beauty, it must be Stockholm. Breathtaking. See you in Edinburgh! SJ x PS – You can keep me motivated here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SJPopester If anyone, like SJ, has a desire to challenge themselves for charity then we are all ears! Simply contact us at info@projectseagrass.org
Guest Blog: Jessica McGarty on Egyptian Seagrasses
I was recently ‘nudged’ to do something by a fellow seagrass enthusiast who shall remain nameless for the time being! I must admit that I have been distracted by life and other ‘things’ for several months and desperately needed that ‘nudge’ to get going again. So, with March being Seagrass Awareness Month, I decided to briefly explore the world of Egyptian seagrasses. To first set the scene, I will give some details about my weird but, although I say it myself, wonderful past. This may partially explain the whys, whats and wherefores of this particular prose! Some 20 years ago (already 20 years, I ask myself?), being a keen but inexperienced scuba diver with a coastal and marine management MSc under my belt, I discovered that Marine Conservation Society ran two-week coral reef survey expeditions to the Hurghada area of the Egyptian Red Sea. I jumped at the chance to participate and dive into tropical waters for the first time. It was a very steep learning curve, both in terms of my scuba skills and my general marine survey and ID skills. To cut a long, weird and wonderful story short, I ended up working in Egypt mostly as a diving instructor and, when the opportunity arose, as a citizen conservationist. Nowadays, I am slowly but surely extricating myself from Egypt’s steely grip and spending my time between there and the UK, looking for an opportunity that will satisfy my eternal curiosity about our oceans and that will offer future prospects and stability (a sign of my age, I think!). I began taking an interest in seagrasses around 2009, mainly because they are feeding grounds for dugongs, green turtles and other slightly strange-looking critters. The love affair began in earnest about a year ago! Seagrass meadows are often full of weird and wonderful creatures such as this colourful nudibranch (Photo: Jessica McGarty) And now back to the matter at hand … Egyptian seagrasses! Egypt has two coastlines, one bordering the Mediterranean Sea and one bordering the Red Sea, the latter being where I will try to focus. Both coastlines feature your hero and mine: seagrass. I’m not a trained biologist or ecologist, tending more towards social sciences, so I thought it would be good practice to boost my knowledge and review some of the scholarly works relevant to seagrasses of the Egyptian Red Sea littoral. The first point of call was Google, the search terms “Egypt” and “seagrass”, and I was interested to find seagrass products from Ikea and scant information about the real deal living in the ocean. I widened the search to “Red Sea” and “seagrass” but found papers relating to other countries bordering the Red Sea with some familiar names attributed to them. It was the same result when I consulted the World Atlas of Seagrasses (2003). This pioneering work, edited by Green and Short, did detail that there are 11 tropical seagrass species in the wider Red Sea area, namely Halodule uninervis, Cymodocea rotundata. Cymodocea serrulata, Syringodium isoetifolium, Thalassodendron ciliatum, Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, Halopliila ovalis, Halophita ovata, Halophila stiputacea and Halophila decipiens. Several hours later, information was still not forthcoming, so I read the few documents I had gathered using various search engines, both general and academic, and numerous search terms. One report in particular was informative, namely El Shaffai’s Field Guide to Seagrasses of the Red Sea (2011), also describing a twelfth species, Halodule pinifolia. This field guide describes all 12 species of seagrass that are found in the Egyptian Red Sea. Now I know I have absolutely no excuse for not being able to identify Egyptian seagrasses down to species level! There are 12 tropical seagrass species in the wider Red Sea area (Photo: Jessica McGarty) A more detailed study of the ecology, distribution and density of seagrasses in Wadi Gemal National Park, southern Egypt, was undertaken by El Shaffai, Hanafy and Gab-Alla in 2014. Additionally, Osama (2010) attempted to use remote sensing to assess distribution in the Hurghada area and highlighted some of the factors affecting seagrass abundance and diversity. Thinking out loud, I wonder whether the power of remote sensing can be fully harnessed to map the distribution and extent of Egyptian seagrasses? It will be a good starting point for management and protection of these habitats that are so vital to environment and society. A further paper from Khalafallah et al (2015) also indicated some of the ecosystem services provided by seagrasses and detailed their diversity and abundance at four sites in Hurghada and Safaga. This paper recognised the current limited knowledge about Egyptian seagrasses, as did Osama in 2010, and the importance of coastal zone management to help lessen harmful impacts upon them. Seagrasses provide numerous ecosystem services including fisheries provision (Photo: Jessica McGarty) It is clear that much work needs to be done to ensure the survival of Egyptian seagrasses, as coastal development continues at a fair rate of knots and with that comes additional nutrients, sediment and rubbish that may overload seagrasses and inhibit their valuable functions and services to society. Not to mention, tourists and local communities unwittingly causing damage through trampling, boating and fishing. Any scientists interested in furthering the cause of Egyptian seagrasses will have a willing assistant in myself, whether they like it or not! It is a rare site these days when you don’t see plastics in a seagrass meadow (Photo: Jessica McGarty) In an attempt to stimulate interest, I always try to persuade guests and colleagues alike to come for a dive with me over the seagrass at Voodoo Divers’ house reef in Hurghada, but my success is limited. However, it was heartening a couple of weeks ago whilst out for a ‘staff dinner’. My friends and colleagues briefly chatted about seagrass over dinner (a conversation instigated by yours truly!), with someone even mentioning that she had taken an interest and learned some important facts because of my enthusiastic praising of seagrass! She wasn’t joking either! The seagrass meadow at Voodoo Divers’ house reef is flourishing