RESTORATION SOUTH & WEST WALES
RESTORATION SOUTH & WEST WALES
This exploratory restoration project is investigating sites along the South & West Wales coastline to identify and trial suitable restoration areas.We will be working with the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, Carmathernshire Bays & Estuaries SAC and Severn Estuary SAC Officers to conduct our work.
The work develops and expands upon our ongoing work in Dale, Pembrokeshire, and restoration trials in Cardiff and Llanelli.
This project is the first to look at the restoration of both true species of UK seagrass: common eelgrass, Zostera marina, and dwarf eelgrass, Zostera noltii.
Partners
Funders
Funders
Cardiff and Llanelli Restoration Trials
In 2024, small-scale seagrass planting trials were undertaken at sites in Cardiff and Llanelli, following site assessments and engagement with local people, environmental advisors, and organisations.
In Cardiff, we trialled planting Zostera marina seagrass seeds using the direct injection seeding (DIS) method. We also trialled planting Zostera noltei cores at both Cardiff and Llanelli.
These cores of seagrass are taken from a healthy dense seagrass meadow close to Llanelli with monitoring in autumn 2024 showing healthy donor meadow recovery.
We will be continuing to explore seagrass restoration potential and investigating further sites in the region.
An initial desk-based review of historical seagrass information will be carried out followed by habitat suitability models to determine which sites may be suitable for successful seagrass growth. We will then conduct site surveys to determine which sites identified by the models will be the most suitable for growing seagrass.
These may include our Llanelli and Cardiff sites, dependent on the results of our small-scale trials, but we will also be
investigating further sites in the region. Potential sites range along the coast from Sully Island, Penarth (Cardiff), Oxwich (Gower), Swansea Bay (Mumbles), Ferryside to Llanstefan (Carmarthen), which all have historic evidence of seagrass cover.
Appropriate trial methods will be designed, for both Zostera noltei and Zostera marina.
GET INVOLVED
If you would like to get involved get in touch via volunteers@projectseagrass.org or sign up to our Volunteer Database here.
Make sure to upload any sightings of seagrass to SeagrassSpotter to help contribute to seagrass conservation.