Want to support seagrass conservation whilst being in with the chance of winning tickets to see Coldplay, live at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2025?
We’re delighted to announce that our official patrons Coldplay have made five pairs of tickets available as part an exclusive competition to support our mission to save the world’s seagrass!
Prize: Two tickets to see Coldplay live in concert!
Location: Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Date: Winners will be allocated tickets across multiple dates and must be available during the Wembley dates:
Photo credit: Anna Lee
Deadline: All entries must be submitted between 10:00 (GMT) Monday 13th January 2025 and 23:59 (GMT) Sunday 16th February 2025. 1 entry per individual.
Winner Announcement: The five winners (one per category) will be notified on Monday 24th February 2025. The winning entries will then be announced publically on World Seagrass Day (Saturday 1st March 2025) on Project Seagrass social media channels.
To enter the competition, we’re seeking inspiring, impactful and creative designs that communicate one of the following five themes:
1. The importance of seagrass
2. Seagrass and people
3. Seagrass around the world
4. Seagrass at risk
5. Seagrass life
More details on each of the themes and reference materials to help you create your design can be found below.
Entries can be created in any medium such as adverts, posters, videos, infographics, drawings or other forms of artwork.
We’re looking for striking designs and impactful statement pieces that captures attention and conveys complex ideas. If you’re looking for some creative inspiration, the Project Seagrass team are constantly inspired by the work of WWF, as well as other impactful imagery focused around conserving our oceans.
Once you’re happy with your entry, submit it via the form below!
• Participants must be 18 years or older.
• Tickets are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
• Travel and accommodation are not included in the prize.
• Full Terms & Conditions can be found here. Please ensure that you read and accept the Terms & Conditions of the competition before submitting your entry. By submitting your entry you agree that you have read the terms and conditions.
Utilize your creativity to help us communicate the science and importance of seagrass! Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your creations.
N.B. Entries must be your original work. Entries that use AI will not be eligible.
The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from Project Seagrass, Coldplay Management Team and independent judge Janina Rossiter.
Janina Rossiter
Award-winning artist and author Janina Rossiter studied communication and illustration design at the University of applied sciences in Hamburg, Germany. She graduated with a German diploma in 2006 (1.0 – the highest possible grade). After university, Janina gained international experience as a graphic designer, working in London, Hamburg and Paris. She specialized in high-end, luxury and food products, as well as consumer goods. Her career path had an epiphanic effect in 2018, which opened her eyes to the plastic pollution linked to our ocean. Since then, she has increasingly focused on working with sustainable and eco-friendly clients and has become an artivist who works with schools and creates artwork for the public to raise awareness of environmental protection. In her private life, she has been a competitive swimmer for most of her life, which is where her love of the water comes from. She has now discovered the world of Apnee dynamic and fin swimming.
Seagrass meadows are incredibly productive and biodiverse ecosystems. They provide habitat for thousands of marine species, produce oxygen, store carbon, protect our coastlines, and support our fisheries.
The leaves of seagrass can filter pathogens, bacteria, and pollution out of seawater, making our oceans a cleaner and safer environment to enjoy. The roots of seagrass extend through the sediment creating a network which strengthens the coast helping to reduce coastal erosion. Their leaves also weaken wave energy and storm surges offering protection to coastal communities.
Communities around the world depend on seagrass for food security and livelihoods.
Seagrass meadows provide habitat for a large variety of fish and invertebrate species that provides a fishery resource that is directly exploited by small-scale fishers. Seagrass meadows also support large scale commercial enterprises by providing important nursery habitat to over 20% of the world’s largest fishers.
Seagrass meadows provide a source of livelihood both directly and indirectly through the goods and services that they provide.
Seagrass meadows are one of the most widespread coastal habitats on the planet and can be found in every continent except Antarctica!
There are around 70 known seagrass species, with the highest number of species found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Global seagrass distribution and status is difficult to map and monitor, largely due to seagrass’ widespread distribution and the relatively limited scientific resources focused on seagrass.
Seagrass meadows are globally threatened and face a range of challenges from changing climate, poor water quality, coastal development, and impact from recreational boating.
Nutrients, such as those from fertilizers and pollution, wash off the land and into the water, causing algal blooms that block sunlight necessary for seagrass growth. Sediment washing into the water from agriculture and land development can also damage seagrass beds by both smothering the seagrass and blocking sunlight. Similarly, dredging can both directly remove seagrass plants and cause lower light levels because of increased amounts of sediments in the water.
It is estimated we have lost 19% of global seagrass meadows since the late 19th century.
Seagrass meadows play an important role in keeping our oceans healthy and providing a home for all kinds of marine life. Thousands of marine species such as shellfish, seahorses, manatees, and sea turtles are reliant on healthy seagrass meadows.
Seagrasses form dense meadows providing shelter and habitat to thousands of marine species. They act as nurseries as their leafy underwater canopy they create provides shelter for small invertebrates (like crabs and shrimp and other types of crustaceans), small fish and juveniles of larger fish species.
These vibrant biodiverse meadows also act as feeding grounds for larger predators that utilise the seagrass meadows to hunt for food. Some marine animals, primarily large grazers like manatees, dugongs, green sea turtles and geese eat the seagrass leaves directly, and seagrass forms a major component of their diets. Adult green sea turtles spend most of their time grazing in seagrass meadows and get their name from the colour of their fat which turns green due to all the green seagrass leaves they consume.
This paper outlines the 6 main challenges facing seagrass conservation around the world. From a lack of awareness of what seagrasses are to the difficulty in mapping seagrass the paper outlines a series of proposed policy actions that will enable the scientific and conservation community to rise to these challenges
Themes: 3, 4
This paper explores the need for more accurate and more consistent measuring of the global distribution of seagrass. Utilising existing datasets, the researchers outline estimates of global seagrass distribution around the globe, breaking these down on a national level.
Theme: 3
This paper explores the state, condition, distribution, and pressures facing seagrass ecosystems in the Pacific Island countries and territories.
Themes: 3,4
This paper explores the role that seagrass meadows place in supporting food security across the globe. The research explores seagrass meadows’ role as a nursery habitat for the world’s largest fisheries, including Walleye Pollock, the most landed species on the planet. The paper also explores the role that seagrass meadows play for small scale fishers and intertidal fishing activities (such as gleaning)
Themes: 1, 2, 5
This paper examines the drivers of household dependence on seagrass within the Indo-Pacific. The findings highlight the importance of safeguarding seagrass for the vulnerable households that depend on it.
Themes: 1, 2
The Ocean Image Bank provides a range of freely available (for non-commercial use) seagrass and ocean imagery in support of ocean science and conservation. The Ocean Image Bank is an officially endorsed project of the UN Ocean Decade.
