An innovative cross-sector partnership between Project Seagrass, Blue Parameters, and WarrenBoats has enabled the installation of two Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems (ASMS) at Seaview on the Isle of Wight, relieving pressure on the Island’s important seagrass habitats. Seagrass meadows play a critical role in keeping our oceans healthy and are
Following its World Ocean Day launch, everyone from scientists to conservationists, and from community groups to environmental funders now have access to an innovative new knowledge sharing platform: SeagrassRestorer. Launched by an international partnership comprising some of the world’s leading seagrass scientists, SeagrassRestorer provides a unique opportunity to learn not
Between the 11th and 13th November 2025, scientists, conservation professionals, practitioners, and community groups from across the UK will converge in Cardiff for the 2025 UK Seagrass Symposium (UKSS). Hosted by Project Seagrass, the event will build upon the success of the inaugural UKSS (hosted by Ocean Conservation Trust and
A new global analysis finds that many of the world’s most threatened seagrass meadows lie within designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of current protections for coastal habitats and offering a chance opportunity to rethink global ocean conservation. The study, led by a team of
Project Seagrass, the world’s leading conservation organisation for seagrass meadows, has collaborated with Coldplay to launch an exclusive competition offering fans the chance to win tickets to see the band live in concert! As part of Project Seagrass’ ongoing mission to be a global voice for seagrass, and raise awareness
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
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
196 of the world’s nations are committed under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to tackling nature loss. Habitat restoration is a major pathway to tackling this loss. For marine habitats such as seagrass, such restoration is often portrayed as an easy answer to fighting many of our planetary ills causing
Thanks to the support of local volunteers and landowners Stena Line, 50,000 seagrass seeds were planted last month at sites near Holyhead, covering an area of 150 m2. The planting followed on from a successful stakeholder engagement session held at Holyhead Sailing Club in March 2024, which was attended by
The World Seagrass Association Inc. invites expressions of interest from members and interested organisations/institutions who would like to host the 16th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW) in 2026. The International Seagrass Biology Workshop series is a meeting of research scientists, students and coastal environment managers focusing on global seagrass issues,
An innovative cross-sector partnership between Project Seagrass, Blue Parameters, and WarrenBoats has enabled the installation of two Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems (ASMS) at Seaview on the Isle of Wight, relieving pressure on the Island’s important seagrass habitats. Seagrass meadows play a critical role in keeping our oceans healthy and are important allies to tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises. Yet the current condition of seagrass in the UK is generally poor due to multiple human pressures, with extensive losses having occurred since the 19th Century. A recent report found the remaining seagrass beds in the Solent to be in an ‘unfavourable’ condition primarily due to nutrient enrichment resulting from water pollution, as well as seabed disturbance caused by commercial fishing and recreational activities including boat anchors. Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems (ASMS) such as the Mermaid K Advanced Sustainable Mooring System installed at Seaview are a simple solution to prevent and alleviate physical damage to the seabed including seagrass meadows caused by traditional anchorage and mooring. Anouska Mendzil, Senior Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass said: “Seagrass can be easily disturbed, damaged and uprooted by anchors. Finding solutions where sailors and seagrass can coexist is vital for protecting and conserving seagrass habitats, that have important ecosystem functions for both people and planet. The ASMS installation is an important passive restoration step in supporting and aiding natural seagrass recovery in the Seaview meadow, further supplementing our active seagrass restoration efforts around the Island.” In a first for an installation of this type, the ASMS installed at Seaview includes monitoring devices which will enable environmental data from the site to be gathered to inform ongoing conservation efforts. The project is also the first of its kind to utilise a more sustainable and environmentally friendly maritime coating designed by Sea Coat which reduces biofouling, enhances vessel performance, and improves energy efficiency. James Scott-Anderson, Project Manager at Blue Parameters said: “Operators and authorities need to make the mental leap away from separating environmental sustainability with their economic sustainability. Technical sustainability is always the commercially astute thing to do and the Mermaid K mooring, with a 10 year warranty, removes chain from the mooring equation, which is often replaced every other year at great expense. That’s not good for the environment but it’s also not good for the bottom line of the business; why would you not reduce your operational costs? Save money with the bonus of saving the environment too.” Nick Rivlin, Director at WarrenBoats said: “We saw this as a perfect opportunity to develop our moorings, an important part of our business in Seaview, with respect for the environment. We are confident that partnership working, using the expertise of researchers & scientists and marine designers, was the best way for us to trial ASMS. WarrenBoats are ideally placed in the eastern Solent with open sea moorings, some of which overlap into seagrass meadows. From a commercial perspective it will be essential that we have robust warranties and guarantees on the component parts to provide client confidence, as we continue to seek zero failure with our moorings, vulnerable to easterly winds. The boating season here is short and therefore the promise of 10-year efficacy is attractive if our ASMS trial is substantiated”. The installation of the Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems at Seaview, which is funded by Seacology, is part of a wider programme of work being undertaken by Project Seagrass to promote Seagrass Safe Sailing. Conservation actions such as these have an important role to play alongside active restoration. Preparing to install an Advanced Sustainable Mooring System at Seaview, Isle of Wight Advanced Sustainable Mooring System with monitoring devices Notes to editors About Project Seagrass Established in 2013 by a group of seagrass scientists, Project Seagrass is a global facing marine conservation organisation securing a future for seagrass. They do this by creating, empowering, and collaborating with communities; by leading, championing and communicating scientific research; and taking direct action to map, conserve, and restore seagrass meadows globally. Project Seagrass seek to reach a world in which seagrass meadows are thriving, abundant, and well managed for people and planet. About Blue Parameters Blue Parameters is a company with a focus on Technical Marine Sustainability and resources for the Commercial and Recreational sectors. We make sustainability beneficial both economically and operationally. Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems from pontoons through single point, vessel efficiency and reducing in water pollution are our key areas of expertise. About WarrenBoats Established in 1931, a fourth-generation small family business, WarrenBoats is integral to the character of Seaview, on the Isle of Wight. Seaview plays a significant contribution to recreational boating in the eastern Solent and it is vital this heritage business remains robust and fit for future generations. WarrenBoats lays approaching 300 seasonal moorings off Seaview of which a small proportion overlap the seagrass meadows. Working on this project is an opportunity to develop new systems, helping to put the business on a strong footing for the future. Contact: Sally Rivlin, Director | www.warrenboats.co.uk | 01983 655123 Mermaid-K , Advanced Sustainable Mooring System (ASMS) The Mermaid-K is a mooring system which is designed to reduce load from wind, tide and waves due to its Seaflex Tensile Unit. It has three ‘Fin Tethers’ connecting to the gravity anchor or sinker, which evens the load and allows the riser line, and mooring buoy to be at an optimal angle and tension at all tide states. Using Dyneema Lines allows for a three to one Safe Working Load (SWL) for any vessel, and has an exceptionally long working life, It can be deployed year round and can be used for commercial applications as all parts of the system and design are certified. It is guaranteed not to touch the Seabed – which also gives sustainable benefits and will allow moorings in areas which may normally be restricted like Seagrass beds.
Following its World Ocean Day launch, everyone from scientists to conservationists, and from community groups to environmental funders now have access to an innovative new knowledge sharing platform: SeagrassRestorer. Launched by an international partnership comprising some of the world’s leading seagrass scientists, SeagrassRestorer provides a unique opportunity to learn not just from each other’s restoration successes but, perhaps more importantly, each other’s restoration failures. Seagrass meadows have faced significant losses across the globe. In response to this, a growing number of initiatives are underway in an attempt to restore these vital underwater ecosystems, with projects taking place in diverse locations ranging from temperate estuaries to tropical lagoons. But seagrass restoration is not as simple as planting trees on land. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to restoring seagrass meadows” said Dr Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer and Co-Founder of Project Seagrass, one of the two architects of the platform. While some projects have achieved notable success, most scientists agree that the majority of seagrass restoration projects fail to meet their intended goals. Dr Richard Unsworth, Chief Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass said: “One of the challenges facing the scientific community is the lack of reporting on unsuccessful projects, which, for the most part remain unpublished, undocumented, or inaccessible to the broader scientific and conservation community. Ultimately, if we aren’t sharing what isn’t working, we risk groups making the same mistakes over and over again. Mistakes that ultimately waste time and financial resources. We’re hoping SeagrassRestorer will directly address this challenge via a centralised portal where seagrass restoration projects can be catalogued, allowing us to learn from, rather than replicating, each other’s failures.” Seagrass Restoration using the DIS method in Thorness, Isle of Wight. Credit Francesca Page Seagrass Restoration using the transplant method in Thorness, Isle of Wight. Credit Francesca Page Leading the development of SeagrassRestorer is international NGO Project Seagrass who are working on a host of seagrass restoration projects from experiments into different planting methods across sites in Wales, Scotland and England, to trials of passive restoration approaches—those aiming to facilitate natural recovery—such as the installation of environmentally friendly boating infrastructure in locations including the Isle of Wight. In Indonesia, and alongside community groups, Project Seagrass has also led much broader passive restoration approaches aimed at tackling sedimentation and poor water quality—the main drivers of seagrass loss—by restoring trees along riverbanks. While Project Seagrass has achieved success across a number of projects, active planting of both seeds and adult shoots in a number of locations have failed—failures that have been prevented from being shared due to a lack of a suitable platform. SeagrassRestorer fosters global collaboration and knowledge sharing within the global seagrass restoration community like never before. Users can share and download information on where, when, and how seagrass restoration projects have been undertaken, and, importantly for those planning their own projects, what methods have worked, and what methods have not. Dr Jones said: “SeagrassRestorer has the potential to become a science-backed seal of approval for seagrass restoration projects. If we’re serious about rebuilding marine life, we need to be prepared to share our knowledge and innovative approaches. This isn’t a competition.” SeagrassRestorer represents a crucial step forward in the field of seagrass restoration. Filling a critical gap by providing an open-access, interactive, and continuously updated portal that records details of seagrass restoration projects across the globe. By centralizing data, promoting transparency, and fostering collaboration, it aims to accelerate progress in marine habitat restoration and contribute to the resilience of coastal ecosystems. Founding partners of SeagrassRestorer include Project Seagrass, Swansea University, Deakin University, Universiteit Stellenbosch, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Universidade do Algarve, Universitas Hasanuddin, Göteborgs universitet, Dalhousie University, and CQ University.
Between the 11th and 13th November 2025, scientists, conservation professionals, practitioners, and community groups from across the UK will converge in Cardiff for the 2025 UK Seagrass Symposium (UKSS). Hosted by Project Seagrass, the event will build upon the success of the inaugural UKSS (hosted by Ocean Conservation Trust and Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 2023) with the Cardiff conference anticipated to welcome over 200 delegates to the Welsh Capital. Attendees will participate in a programme of inspiring talks from keynote speakers, panel discussions, and workshops led by some of the world’s leading seagrass scientists. The event, which will take place at Techniquest in Cardiff Bay and is sponsored by the Crown Estate, will drive forward discussions and actions to protect and restore UK seagrass, alongside providing an invaluable networking opportunity for attendees to share knowledge on seagrass science, policy, and management. Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, CEO of Project Seagrass and Chair of Seagrass Network Cymru said: “I’m delighted to be bringing this conference to Wales in 2025. This is an opportunity to connect science, policy, and action by bringing together those working on seagrass from across the UK. Interest in seagrass has grown substantially in the past few years and this is a forum to share and enhance our collective knowledge to advance towards a healthy and connected UK seascape.” Seagrass meadows play a critical role in keeping our oceans healthy and stocked with food and are important allies to tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises. Yet the current condition of seagrass in the UK is generally poor due to multiple pressures, including poor water quality, and direct physical damage from moorings and anchors with extensive loss having occurred since the 19th Century. The collective action and collaboration fostered by the UK Seagrass Symposium is key to addressing the challenges that UK seagrass currently faces. Dr Benjamin Jones, 2022-24 President of World Seagrass Association said: “Given the increasing challenges that seagrass meadows globally face, I see this UK Seagrass Symposium as a crucial opportunity to build a diverse, equitable, and collaborative UK seagrass community to tackle seagrass decline. We need to both learn from others and share our successes and failures; we simply do not have the time to wait, we need to collaborate, and we need to collaborate now.” A UK Seagrass Symposium hosted in the Welsh Capital is fitting following the Welsh Government’s endorsement of a National Seagrass Action Plan for Wales earlier this year. The Plan presents a blueprint for action over the next five years to achieve a vision where Welsh seagrass meadows are supporting marine biodiversity, vibrant communities, a sustainable economy, and making a valuable contribution to the climate emergency response. Registration for the UK Seagrass Symposium will open later this month. To discuss sponsorship opportunities contact: ben@projectseagrass.org.
A new global analysis finds that many of the world’s most threatened seagrass meadows lie within designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of current protections for coastal habitats and offering a chance opportunity to rethink global ocean conservation. The study, led by a team of scientists from the international NGO Project Seagrass, presents one of the most comprehensive global maps ever produced of the human pressures threatening seagrass meadows—vital coastal ecosystems supporting fisheries, and sustaining marine biodiversity in over 150 countries. With help from over 1000 citizen scientists, the team mapped human pressures to seagrass at over 1200 sites across 86 countries, finding that most seagrass meadows face multiple combined threats, including coastal development and pollution to impacts from things like boating, destructive fishing and aquaculture. Strikingly, half of the seagrass sites exposed to human impacts were located within MPAs—areas that are meant to provide refuge from such threats. “These are supposed to be safe havens for biodiversity,” said lead author Dr. Benjamin Jones. “Instead, we’re finding that many seagrass meadows inside MPAs are under intense and overlapping pressures from human activities on land. That’s a red flag—but also a huge opportunity to rethink how we protect seagrass meadows.” A wake-up call By analysing the data submitted by citizen scientists to SeagrassSpotter.org, the researchers created a high-resolution map of global seagrass vulnerability. The results reveal hotspots of concern in regions like Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and parts of the Caribbean—but also bright spots of lower pressure, where conservation action could be both timely and transformative. Critically, the study exposes a major gap between designation and implementation in the world’s MPA networks—finding that seagrass in 4.4% of the world’s MPA’s is under threat. “Putting a boundary on a map isn’t enough,” said Dr. Jones. “If we’re serious about protecting seagrass meadows—and all the benefits they offer—we need to start managing impacts from land.” The study calls for immediate action to strengthen protections within existing MPAs, prioritize high-threat zones for urgent intervention, and expand conservation to underrepresented but ecologically rich areas. “With just a small fraction of seagrass currently protected, the study makes a clear case for smarter marine spatial planning, localised threat reduction, and global cooperation,” said study co-author Dr. Richard Unsworth (also of Swansea University). The findings support the United Nations’ “30×30” goal to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030—but emphasise that quality of protection is just as critical as quantity. To achieve the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, net seagrass losses of roughly 3,000 km2 must be avoided annually from 2030 onwards and ~95,000 km2 of these ecosystems must be restored. Meeting these targets requires solving the complex threats that most seagrasses around the world face. From threats to solutions By publishing the data from this study in an interactive map, the scientists hope this becomes a critical tool for policymakers, conservationists, and local communities who can now pinpoint some of the most at-risk areas and focus efforts accordingly. “Seagrass meadows are quiet powerhouses of the ocean,” said Dr. Jones, “[and] this new map shows us exactly where we need to act – not just to stop loss, but to invest in protection and conservation where it matters most.” Such conservation solutions, the authors argue, need not always be ocean based—land-based restoration and watershed management will be critical to combat nutrient pollution. “These threats are real and widespread. But the solutions are just as real and within reach,” said the team. “By mapping the threats, we’re also mapping the solutions. We know where to act. Now the world needs to do it.” Citizen science This global analysis represents the first research study using data from SeagrassSpotter.org, a citizen science platform launched a decade ago to engage the public in seagrass conservation. This milestone marks a significant achievement in seagrass science, showcasing the power of community-driven data collection. Over the past 10 years, volunteers from around the world have contributed thousands of observations, and Project Seagrass hopes this new research will inspire others to participate, and for fellow scientists to also harness the global dataset. The full article is available here. Jones, B. et al. (2025). Mapping global threats to seagrass meadows reveals opportunities for conservation. Environmental Research Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-664X/adcacb
Project Seagrass, the world’s leading conservation organisation for seagrass meadows, has collaborated with Coldplay to launch an exclusive competition offering fans the chance to win tickets to see the band live in concert! As part of Project Seagrass’ ongoing mission to be a global voice for seagrass, and raise awareness of the critical role that seagrass meadows play for our planet, the competition encourages participants to create inspiring, impactful, and creative designs advocating for and communicating the science and importance of seagrass. Full details on the themes of the competition can be found on the Project Seagrass website, but Project Seagrass is hopeful that 100’s of creatives will take part. Seagrass meadows are vital for the health of our planet, but until relatively recently faced a charisma problem. “Global awareness of the importance of seagrass is one of the greatest challenges facing its conservation” said Dr Benjamin Jones, Project Seagrass’s Chief Conservation Officer. Often termed the “ugly duckling” of marine conservation, global advocacy for conserving seagrass has been hindered by assumptions that they aren’t as vibrant as other ocean habitats. With awareness of their importance for a wide variety of animals, from the tiniest of invertebrates, to the world’s largest herbivorous marine mammal, opinion is now changing. “Globally, the undersea meadows that seagrasses create are vital for biodiversity, stabilising our coastlines, absorbing carbon, and alleviating poverty in fishing communities dependent on them” said Dr Jones. However, seagrass meadows are under threat. Seagrass loss, primarily driven by land-use change, poor water quality, and human activity, is globally widespread. By participating in the competition, entrants are not only entering for the chance to see Coldplay live but also showing their support for marine conservation efforts. Competition Deadline: The competition will be open for entries until Sunday 16th February. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from Project Seagrass, Coldplay’s Management Team and an independent judge, award winning author and artist Janina Rossiter. The lucky winners will have the opportunity to see Coldplay live at Wembley Stadium in London in summer 2025! Project Seagrass invites everyone to take part in this exciting opportunity to combine creativity and environmental advocacy. For details about the competition, full terms and conditions, and to enter the competition, visit https://www.projectseagrass.org/coldplay-ticket-competition/ Photo Credit: Anna Lee
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
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.
196 of the world’s nations are committed under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to tackling nature loss. Habitat restoration is a major pathway to tackling this loss. For marine habitats such as seagrass, such restoration is often portrayed as an easy answer to fighting many of our planetary ills causing this nature loss. But as evidence grows of the issues and challenges of such activities, scientists from Project Seagrass and Swansea University have outlined ten golden rules to help improve this restoration. Their work is published today in an Open Access article in the journal Plants People Planet. The article responds to the increasing pressures faced by seagrass ecosystems globally and the need to rapidly rebuild marine life. The authors highlight throughout that in order to restore our ocean biodiversity, we first need to focus on reducing the stressors to these habitats, namely water quality, boating and coastal development. The authors who have been studying seagrass conservation and restoration argue for a shift beyond a singularised view of restoration as being about planting new meadows to a combined view where damaged and fragmented meadows are rejuvenated; threatened and diminishing meadows are protected; and more meadows become resilient. The rules confirm the need for collaborative approaches to restoration which create biodiverse ecosystems that support coastal communities and improve communities. Dr Richard Unsworth, lead author on the paper who is the Chief Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass and Associate Professor at Swansea University said, “To rebuild marine life at the scale and speed required to fight the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency we need to think bigger, whereby we bring degraded habitats back to life at the same time as creating vast new habitat in support of coastal livelihoods, and community resilience” The paper has been published following the International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW15) hosted in Naples, Italy earlier this year, the theme of this which was “Seagrasses in the Anthropocene”. As human activities place ever-increasing pressure on seagrass ecosystems at both a local and global scale the resulting changes in environmental conditions have altered seagrass ecosystems to an extent that has not previously been observed. The challenge currently facing the global community is the need to establish a new baseline and protect, restore, and rehabilitate the seagrass ecosystems that currently remain. Dr Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer at Project Seagrass and author of the paper says: “Coastal environments suffer from excess nutrients and contaminants from poor land management, deforestation and ineffective pollution management. If we are to place seagrass on a pathway to global net gain, for restoration to have any meaningful contribution, we also need to think about restoring watersheds and thinking upstream – restoring the land to restore the sea”. The ten golden rules originally developed by Unsworth and Jones for seagrass restoration, and outlined below, aim to ensure that existing seagrass is protected, that multiple and diverse stakeholders are involved in planning to support the selection of appropriate sites and ongoing stewardship, that appropriate restoration methods are utilized, and that realism is adopted in the face of the challenges surrounding global restoration efforts particularly in light of ongoing climatic pressure. Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, CEO at Project Seagrass and an author of the paper says: “Fantastic progress is being made in the field of conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows, but in order for this to happen at the scale and speed required, we wanted to set out a series of holistic guidelines, based on available research and experience, that practitioners can follow for improved chances of success.” 10 Golden Rules for restoration to secure resilient and just seagrass social-ecological systems (set out in detail below) Protect existing seagrass first Work together Create biodiverse ecosystems with multiple functions for people and planet Select appropriate sites for restoration Determine appropriate restoration methods Use resilient plant materials and future proof your project Maximize the potential opportunity of the restoration Plan ahead for infrastructure, capacity, and restoration material Develop realistic informed goals and reporting Make it pay 10 Golden Rules (Detailed summary of the paper) 1. Protect existing seagrass first Amidst the context of growing interest in seagrass restoration, the authors emphasize that it is much slower, more difficult, and more expensive to re-plant seagrass meadows than it is to protect those that currently remain. Protection from localized stressors can relieve pressure on our existing seagrass be this through the implementation of improved water quality from better catchment management, reduced boating damage, establishment of Marine Protected Areas or through the encouragement of alternative low-impact livelihoods, tourism, and fishing practices. The authors also outline the need to prioritise which seagrass meadows to protect taking into consideration predicted future climatic conditions such as changing temperatures, sea level rise, land use change, and the gradual topicalization of temperate systems. 2. Work together Restoration is a collaborative process and the authors discuss the importance of the involvement of multiple and diverse stakeholders, expertise, and experience throughout all stages of the restoration process. Seagrass social-ecological systems support diverse uses and livelihoods, from fishing and recreation, to harvesting of raw plant material. Rights and equality are central, and stakeholders should be encouraged to continue activities, not just undisturbed, but enhanced by increased seagrass resilience. Engaging local communities and stakeholders during the site selection period is essential as these groups will often become the long-term custodians of the restoration site. Without working together, long-term seagrass restoration at scale is simply not possible and finding ways to bring people together to co-design restoration projects will enhance the social capital of resulting habitats. 3. Create biodiverse ecosystems with multiple functions for people and planet The overarching aim of seagrass restoration should be to maximise the biomass and biodiversity of meadows such that they support diverse and resilient ecosystem functioning and services for people and planet. The authors discuss how natural systems simultaneously produce multiple ecosystem services that interrelate in complex and dynamic ways. An overly narrow focus on a limited set of ecosystem services can lead to
Thanks to the support of local volunteers and landowners Stena Line, 50,000 seagrass seeds were planted last month at sites near Holyhead, covering an area of 150 m2. The planting followed on from a successful stakeholder engagement session held at Holyhead Sailing Club in March 2024, which was attended by members of the local community, alongside several local businesses and organisations. Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation Officer Alison Palmer Hargrave said “It has been fantastic to start the planting trials on Anglesey. I’d like to say a big thank you to all those that took part and helped make it successful. We also met some great people at a recent drop-in session in Holyhead, and I’m looking forward to working with them in the coming months.” The two planting sites in the Holyhead Bay (Penrhos Headland and Penrhyn) were selected based on local ecological knowledge provided by the community and because small patches of seagrass were found in these areas. The team will be back in the autumn to monitor the planted seagrass to inform future planting plans. The spring planting in the Holyhead Bay forms part of a wider programme of work called Seagrass Ocean Rescue North Wales, which aims to plant seagrass over an area of ten hectares across North Wales between 2022 and 2026. The programme is being managed by WWF, in partnership with Project Seagrass, the North Wales Wildlife Trust and Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Swansea University. The programme is made possible with support from funders that include the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Moondance Foundation. There will be more opportunities to get involved in the project including future planting events, seed collection, seagrass festivals, and drop-in sessions. For more information about the upcoming programme please contact Alison at: alisonpalmerhargrave@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or to volunteer, please email: volunteers@projectseagrass.org
The World Seagrass Association Inc. invites expressions of interest from members and interested organisations/institutions who would like to host the 16th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW) in 2026. The International Seagrass Biology Workshop series is a meeting of research scientists, students and coastal environment managers focusing on global seagrass issues, improving seagrass knowledge, developing networks and advocating for seagrass protection/conservation. ISBWs are often 4-6 day events, made up of 2-3 days of talks (in a conference setting) and 1-2 days of workshops and often include an additional day for a field trip. Participants are generally around 100 individuals, however, this is highly dependent on the venue. The timing for ISBWs has mostly been late September, although the timing is dependent on what is most suitable for the hosting country (e.g. tides, holidays, etc). We would also like to encourage organisations/institutions in localities that have been underrepresented in past ISBWs to consider hosting this event to highlight the need for seagrass research and to expand our research networks. After the first official ISBW in 1993 it was decided that meetings were to be held at two year intervals, swapping between developed and developing nation locations. The 2024 meeting (ISBW15) will be held in Naples, Italy, from 17-21 June, in conjunction with the World Seagrass Conference (WSC2024) (https://www.isbw15.it/). Past ISBW venues include:ISBW1 (1993) Japan – KominatoISBW2 (1996) Australia – Rottnest IslandISBW3 (1998) The Philippines – Quezon City and BolinaoISBW4 (2000) France – Corsica!SBW5 (2002) Mexico – EnsenadaISBW6 (+Conference) (2004) Australia -Townsville and Magnetic islandISBW7 (2006) Africa – ZanzibarISBW8 (2008) Canada – Bamfield, Vancouver islandISBW9 (+Conference) (2010) Thailand – Phuket and Trang ProvinceISBW10 (2012) Brazil – BuziosISBW11 (2014) China – Sanya, Hainan ProvinceISBW12 (2016) United Kingdom – Nant Gwrtheyrn, WalesISBW13 (+Conference) (2018) SingaporeISBW14 (+Conference) (2022) USA – Annapolis, Maryland To read about the history of the ISBW series, seeColes, R., Short, F., Fortes, M. and Kuo, J (2014) Twenty years of seagrass networking and advancing seagrass science: The International Seagrass Biology Workshop Series. Pacific Conservation Biology 20(1): 8–16. (http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/302/paper/PC140008.htm), andHind-Ozan, E.J., Jones, B.L., 2017. Seagrass science is growing: A report on the 12th International Seagrass Biology Workshop. Marine Pollution Bulletin.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.017 The International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW) is an official activity of the World Seagrass Association Inc., and WSA Inc. plays a guiding role, and assists the Convener/Organising Committee when requested. Members or organisations/institutions who are interested in hosting the 16th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW) in 2026 should submit an Expression of Interest by email to Len McKenzie, Secretary, World Seagrass Association Inc., at wsa.secretary@gmail.com no later than March 01, 2024.Expressions of Interest should be no longer than 3 pages and include the following:• Name of Applicant• Applicant’s contact information including physical address and email address• Proposed Hosting Institution (add a brief description)• Country and proposed location for the event• Institutional Support• Tentative Venue Details (conference, workshop and field trips)• Preliminary Proposed Theme• Travel & Visa Considerations• Health & Safety Considerations• Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity ConsiderationsThe WSA may require more detailed information in future before a final decision. If you require additional information or any enquiries, please email wsa.secretary@gmail.com Previous Post January 15, 2024 ISBW press release updates World Seagrass Association
