Over 90% of the UK’s seagrass meadows have been lost — threatening biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal resilience. New strategic partnership with King Charles III Charitable Fund strengthens long-term UK seagrass recovery and protection. Project Seagrass has been selected as one of King Charles III Charitable Fund’s strategic partners for 2026-2029.
On the western side of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, sits Myuna Bay – a quiet bay with meadows of seagrass waving beneath the water. The most common marine plant species you find there is Zostera muelleri. It has long ribbon-like leaves that grow from stems (called rhizomes)
The FANNS programme took place between 2024 and 2026. One of the focuses within the programme was on improving the natural environment through a series of restoration trials across multiple Special Areas of Conservation in South and West Wales. These trials aimed to establish the most effective methods of planting seagrass
As our Fragment Walks from the 2025/26 season come to an end Project Seagrass Intern Anya Lamparelli reflects on this year’s efforts. A seagrass fragment is a precious and vulnerable thing. Torn free by winter storms and strong swells these delicate shoots with intricate root systems still attached wash ashore
Residents and visitors to the Isle of Wight can now access information about the Island’s important seagrass habitats thanks to new signage installed through support from Seacology. The signage has been installed by Project Seagrass as part of ongoing efforts to protect and restore seagrass ecosystems within the Solent. The signs
Now seeking investment, the Global Seagrass Challenge Fund will unite funders, businesses, and individuals committed to securing a future for seagrass. With an ambitious target of £50 million, the Fund will support people-centred seagrass conservation for a healthier ocean and a fairer future. Project Seagrass has launched the Global Seagrass
In Dale Bay, Pembrokeshire, a collaboration between local fishers and marine conservation charity Project Seagrass is showing positive results for both sustainable fishing and seagrass restoration. Dale Bay is the location of an ongoing seagrass restoration project, delivered by South Wales based charity Project Seagrass and overseen by the Dale
Over 90% of the UK’s seagrass meadows have been lost — threatening biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal resilience. New strategic partnership with King Charles III Charitable Fund strengthens long-term UK seagrass recovery and protection. Project Seagrass has been selected as one of King Charles III Charitable Fund’s strategic partners for 2026-2029. The charity is one of six inspiring organisations selected in the latest round of funding, all working to drive nature recovery, strengthen communities, and create lasting positive change in the UK. The new multi-year partnership will support Project Seagrass’ work to protect and restore seagrass meadows — one of the UK’s most threatened yet valuable marine ecosystems. Despite more than 90% of UK seagrass being lost over the last century, these underwater meadows remain critical for supporting biodiversity, fisheries, water quality, and resilient coastlines. The partnership comes at an important moment for seagrass recovery in the UK, as efforts increasingly move from isolated projects towards long-term, coordinated restoration and protection at scale. Project Seagrass’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth said: “This partnership represents an important step forward for seagrass recovery in the UK. It recognises the importance of protecting and restoring these extraordinary ecosystems and strengthens our ability to deliver long-term, lasting recovery for our seas. By bringing together science, policy, and community action, we can scale restoration, strengthen protection, and help create the conditions seagrass meadows need to recover and thrive. At a time when our marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure, this kind of long-term support is vital to achieving meaningful change for people and planet.” Project Seagrass was founded in 2013 with a mission to save the world’s seagrass. Over the last 13 years the organisation has championed seagrass ecosystems on the global stage, helping connect science, communities and conservation action through tools such as SeagrassSpotter, which recently marked 10 years and more than 10,000 global seagrass sightings, and the launch of SeagrassRestorer to support shared learning and coordinated recovery efforts worldwide. In the UK, Project Seagrass established the country’s first seagrass nursery to help scale restoration initiatives, contributed more than 100 scientific publications to the field, and played a key role in securing Welsh Government endorsement of the National Seagrass Action Plan — the first coordinated national strategy for seagrass recovery in Wales. Today, on World Ocean Day, representatives from Project Seagrass are joining fellow King Charles III Charitable Fund strategic partners to reflect on the collective impact of the programme, share learning, and strengthen collaboration across the environmental and social sectors. Project Seagrass’ Chief Operating Officer, Dr Celia Marlowe said: “Bringing together organisations working across such different areas of environmental and social impact creates a fantastic opportunity to learn from one another. Hearing how others approach challenges, build community, and drive change is genuinely inspiring and helps shape how we work towards our mission to save the world’s seagrass. The strategic partnership will support Project Seagrass’ continued work to deliver people-centred approaches to seagrass recovery, helping safeguard healthier seas for future generations. Find out more about Project Seagrass’ work to save the world’s seagrass here. For more information about Project Seagrass’ work and opportunities to collaborate please contact Fundraising Manager Paula Langson on paulalangston@projectseagrass.org
On the western side of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, sits Myuna Bay – a quiet bay with meadows of seagrass waving beneath the water. The most common marine plant species you find there is Zostera muelleri. It has long ribbon-like leaves that grow from stems (called rhizomes) buried beneath the sediment and provides important shelter for small fish, shrimp and crabs. Although Myuna Bay looks quite normal, it is actually a bit unusual. For decades, the nearby Eraring power station released warm water into the lake that was used to cool down their systems, causing water temperatures here to be consistently 1°C to 3°C higher than nearby sites. This made the bay a rare natural laboratory for understanding what warming oceans might mean for coastal ecosystems. In our new research, published today in the journal New Phytologist, we used this setting to investigate what happens to seagrass and the microbes living in the sediment when ocean temperatures increase in the way climate models predict they will in the future. Experimental design. Sediments (intact or disrupted microbial communities via autoclaving) and seagrass (Zostera muelleri) plants (with intact or disrupted rhizosphere microbial community) were transplanted into the warm environment to test how belowground microbes affect seagrass performance under elevated ocean temperatures. Six plants (two from each of the three ambient and warm sites) were randomly placed into each pot with five replicate pots per treatment. Credit: New Phytologist (2026). One of the most important coastal habitats Seagrasses are often overlooked, but they are among the most important coastal habitats on Earth. They are marine flowering plants that stabilize sediments, improve water clarity and provide food and shelter for many marine animals. They also store large amounts of carbon in the sediments beneath them, making them important for slowing climate change. But seagrasses don’t function alone. Beneath the leaves, in the sediments, lives a hidden ecosystem of microbes: bacteria, fungi and other microscopic organisms that interact with the plant. Just as plants on land depend on soil microbes, seagrasses rely on microbial communities in the sediment around their roots. These microbes carry out many important processes. Some provide nutrients that plants need to grow. Others break down organic matter or detoxify harmful compounds in the sediment. In some ways, the relationship can be compared to the partnership between corals and the microscopic algae living inside them. Corals rely on those algae for energy, while seagrasses depend on microbes to help maintain a healthy environment around their roots. But not all microbes are helpful. Some produce sulfide, a compound that can be toxic to seagrass roots when it accumulates in sediments. We are starting to find out that whether microbial communities help or harm the plant can depend strongly on environmental conditions, including increases in ocean temperatures due to climate change. Simulating future ocean warming in the field To understand how ocean warming might affect the relationship between seagrasses and microbes in the sediment under realistic future conditions, we designed a field experiment at Myuna Bay. We collected seagrass plants and sediments from both warmer and “normal” temperature sites in Lake Macquarie. Some plants were grown in sediments with their microbial communities intact. In other treatments, the sediments were heated to 121°C to disrupt the microbes; this reduces total bacterial abundance by more than 95%. This allowed us to test how plants performed when the microbial community was intact versus when it had been disrupted. We then placed plants in pots with those different sediments and exposed the plants to warmer conditions at Myuna Bay, similar to those expected in the future. After one month, we monitored how the plants responded. We measured how they survived, how many shoots they produced and how their biomass changed over time. At the same time, we analyzed the bacterial communities in the sediment using DNA sequencing to see how they differed between treatments. Looking beyond plants When plants were grown in sediments from “normal” temperature sites, seagrass performed well whether the microbes were intact or disrupted. But when plants were grown in sediments from warmer sites, the outcome changed: plants growing with intact sediment microbial communities performed worse. These sediments from the warm areas also contained different bacterial communities, which may help explain the lower plant biomass we observed. One possible explanation involves sulfide. In seagrass sediments, certain microbes produce sulfide as part of their metabolism. At high concentrations, sulfide can be toxic for seagrasses. Warmer temperatures may stimulate microbial activity, increasing sulfide production and tipping the balance from a supportive microbial community to one that harms the plant. Our findings highlight an important idea: the impacts of climate change on seagrasses can’t be understood by looking at the plants alone. The microbial communities living in the sediment can also influence how these plants respond to warming. This has important implications for conservation and restoration. Around the world, seagrass meadows are declining due to coastal development, pollution and climate change. Restoration projects often focus on planting seagrass shoots or seeds. But the condition of the surrounding sediment, including its microbial community, may also determine whether restoration succeeds. As oceans continue to warm, the future of seagrass meadows may depend not only on the plants we see when snorkelling, but also on the microscopic microbes living in the sediment beneath them. More information: This article is republished from Phys.org Read the research paper here: Ocean warming indirectly affects seagrass performance through effects on sediment microbial communities – Jongen – New Phytologist – Wiley Online Library
The FANNS programme took place between 2024 and 2026. One of the focuses within the programme was on improving the natural environment through a series of restoration trials across multiple Special Areas of Conservation in South and West Wales. These trials aimed to establish the most effective methods of planting seagrass out into the field. Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries SAC Following site assessments and stakeholder engagement, Ellis Bay in Llanelli was identified as the site for the restoration trials within the Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries SAC. Zostera noltei was identified as the most appropriate species for restoration at this site due to the estuary’s intertidal nature and sediment characteristics. In May 2024, the Project Seagrass team were joined in the field by Carmarthen Bay & Estuaries European Marine Site Officer Judith Oakley and Carmarthen Conservation Coordinator Paul Aubrey. 75 Zostera noltei cores were transplanted from a healthy donor meadow near Llanelli to the Llanelli trial site using the plug method. Monitoring later that summer in August 2024 demonstrated positive results with a significant percentage (40 %) increase in growth from the initial core size, indicating strong early establishment and expansion. These results were highly encouraging, suggesting that Llanelli site conditions were suitable for Zostera noltei transplant success. Members of the Project Seagrass team, Carmarthen Bay & Estuaries, and Carmarthenshire Council collect Zostera noltei transplants from a donor meadow in Llanelli. A Zostera noltei core collected from a donor meadow ahead of transplantation. Building on the success of the 2024 trial, further planting took place in May 2025. 72 Zostera noltei transplants were collected from the donor meadow. The 2025 planting plots were located further towards the foreshore to enable the team to explore planting into alternative sediment types and to more closely reflect the distribution of the natural meadow on the western side of the Bay. Monitoring of both the 2024 and 2025 planting efforts took place in August 2025 with the 2025 planting plots evidencing significant loss. Shortly after transplanting, the site experienced a period of elevated temperatures followed by storm events. Sediment redistribution around the plots was evident during the team’s monitoring which may have destabilised newly planted cores, while heat stress would have compounded physiological stress following transplantation. The previous years planting survival was more varied but generally stronger with plots located closer to the low shore within muddier sediments showing higher survival rates and successful expansion, in some cases demonstrating up to 35% growth relative to the original core size. Plots positioned closer to the foreshore experienced comparatively greater loss. The contrast between 2024 and 2025 results highlights the importance of sediment stability and micro-site selection in transplant success. Given the positive expansion observed in 2024, there is a strong case for scaling up transplant effort within suitable sediment areas across the bay with plans for further transplant trials in Llanelli to build upon this learning. Severn Estuary SAC Within the Severn Estuary SAC, Butetown foreshore in Cardiff was selected as the site for planting trials. This location was identified based on Habitat Suitability Modelling, desk-based reviews, and in-field surveys which revealed the presence of three small, isolated Zostera marina seagrass patches at the site. In May 2024, the Project Seagrass team planted 60,000 Zostera marina seagrass seeds at the Cardiff site, using the Direct Injection Seeding (DIS) planting method developed by The Fieldwork Company. Monitoring later in the summer revealed no germination success from these planting efforts which led to a smaller repeat trial in 2025. A further 3,200 seeds were planted using the DIS method, this time adopting a Seagrass Hug configuration. The Seagrass Hug method has been developed by Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, and aims to determine whether surrounding seed plots with more established seagrass transplants provides protection for emerging seeds in restoration practices. This trial was undertaken in collaboration with the Seagrass Consortium. A total of 525 seagrass transplants were planted at the Cardiff site as part of the trials with varying degrees of success. 75 Zostera noltii transplants planted in 2024 initially showed signs of survival which would have established the presence of an additional seagrass species at the site, creating the potential for future development of a mixed meadow. However, by 2025 these transplants had been lost. 450 Zostera marina further transplants from the Project Seagrass Nursery were planted out in 2025, using coir pots of varying sizes and a mixture of plants that had been hardened outdoors in ponds at the Seagrass Nursery, while the remainder were grown inside the polytunnel. These trials allowed the team to undertake a comparison of transplant establishment by container type and nursery conditioning to inform future restoration approaches. Whilst monitoring highlighted that there had been significant loss from the initial number of transplants planted, several shoots persisted across the different planting methods. However, remaining shoots were generally found to be stressed and silt-covered, indicating environmental pressures at the site. Senior Science Officer Emma Fox undertakes monitoring at the Cardiff site Zostera noltii cores prepared for transplantation in May 2024 Throughout the programme of work, environmental data was gathered at the site to allow the team to monitor site conditions which might have impacted the success of the planting. Several environmental factors are likely to have influenced the restoration success at this particular site including elevated wave energy, high pool temperatures, silt smothering within intertidal pools, high epiphytic load, and the potential that the Zostera marina nursery stock used (from a source population in North Wales) may not represent the optimal ecotype for this environment. The Cardiff trials demonstrated that the Direct Injection Seeding method is not suitable for restoration at Cardiff under current site conditions. Transplant-based approaches showed limited but measurable persistence, with container type influencing relative survival. However, overall survival rates remain low, suggesting that environmental constraints may outweigh methodological refinements at the current scale of intervention. Further trials using transplants from a seagrass meadow in Stolford will allow the team to trial whether plants with a more comparable ecotype show higher levels of success at the site. Pembrokeshire Marine SAC Dale Bay within Pembrokeshire SAC, continued to serve
As our Fragment Walks from the 2025/26 season come to an end Project Seagrass Intern Anya Lamparelli reflects on this year’s efforts. A seagrass fragment is a precious and vulnerable thing. Torn free by winter storms and strong swells these delicate shoots with intricate root systems still attached wash ashore from subtidal seagrass meadows. If left stranded on the sand they will soon dry out, but on the Isle of Wight they are being given a second chance. Once a month at low tide, volunteers gather at Priory Bay, all eyes trained on the shoreline for a flash of green. Seagrass! Each fragment found is carefully collected and replanted into a growing community meadow. Since the initiative began three years ago 311 volunteers have joined the Project Seagrass team. Collecting 1,104 fragments over 16 fragment walks. 624 fragments have been replanted at Priory Bay, covering an area of 27 m2. Each month the volunteers revisit what they have already planted and monitor how the meadow is establishing, making field observations on what factors might be influencing its growth and survival. The remaining fragments have been replanted at the Seagrass Nursery in South West Wales; they will soon be used to support the team’s wider restoration work in the Solent. Fragment walks unfold under all conditions. Brilliant unbroken sunshine, pink sunsets, and cold grey mornings where the sky and sea blur into one. Yet the turnout remains steady, demonstrating the interest in and growing connection to seagrass meadows in the Solent. Many volunteers bring with them a deep lived knowledge of the coastline. They know how the beach shifts through the seasons, where sediment builds and erodes and when storms have reshaped the coast. This local insight has become an invaluable part of the project, helping guide where and how we replant seagrass. In turn, we can share our knowledge of ecosystem restoration and marine life. Creating a shared partnership where practitioners and locals learn from each other. Project Seagrass are working to restore 3.5 hectares of seagrass on the Isle of Wight as part of the Solent Seascape Project. Fragment walks allow us to trial new restoration methods while connecting with the local community. Thank you to every volunteer who has joined us in the Solent, we look forward to welcoming you back when the fragment walks restart in September 2026.
Residents and visitors to the Isle of Wight can now access information about the Island’s important seagrass habitats thanks to new signage installed through support from Seacology. The signage has been installed by Project Seagrass as part of ongoing efforts to protect and restore seagrass ecosystems within the Solent. The signs have been designed to raise awareness of seagrass meadows around the Isle of Wight in addition to highlighting ways that individuals can support these fragile ecosystems including through participation in Fragment Walks and uploading seagrass sightings to citizen science tool SeagrassSpotter. New seagrass signage installed at St Helen’s Duver Members of the Project Seagrass team installed new signage at locations on the Isle of Wight Two signs were installed in Seaview, the location of one of the Island’s extensive Zostera marina meadows and where Project Seagrass, Blue Parameters, and WarrenBoats have recently installed two Advanced Sustainable Mooring Systems (ASMS) to relieve pressure on the Island’s important seagrass habitats. A further sign has been installed at St Helens Duver, Priory Bay, the location of the start of our Fragment Walks and the site of one of our active restoration sites. Further poster versions of the signs will be installed at Ryde and other locations around the Island. Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University said “The Isle of Wight is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to some of the most ecologically important marine and coastal habitats under threat – seagrass meadows. Across the Isle of Wight, new information signs now share the story of seagrass restoration and conservation, an effort led by Project Seagrass and the collective power of local community action, to contribute and enhance ecosystem recovery.” Seagrass signage installed at Seaview slipway Signage installed on the Southern Water building at St Helen’s Project Seagrass is grateful for the generous support from Seacology for making the creation and installation of these seagrass signs possible. Project Seagrass is also thankful to our stakeholders for their continued support and permission to install the signage.
Now seeking investment, the Global Seagrass Challenge Fund will unite funders, businesses, and individuals committed to securing a future for seagrass. With an ambitious target of £50 million, the Fund will support people-centred seagrass conservation for a healthier ocean and a fairer future. Project Seagrass has launched the Global Seagrass Challenge Fund, an ambitious new fund to transform seagrass conservation globally. Announced on World Seagrass Day, the Fund aims to reverse the global trajectory of seagrass meadow decline through sustained investment in people, partnerships, science, and evidence, working across scales from local meadows to global policy. Scientists have identified six global challenges facing seagrass ecosystems; priorities that must be addressed if we are to secure their future. The Global Seagrass Challenge Fund responds directly to these challenges by mobilising funding, technical support, and long-term capacity development for the communities, organisations, and practitioners protecting, conserving, and restoring seagrass social-ecological systems. Developed as a people-centred funding mechanism grounded in scientific evidence, the Fund seeks to close knowledge gaps, strengthen local leadership, and ensure that those closest to seagrass meadows have equitable access to the resources required to safeguard them. Project Seagrass’ Chief Conservation Officer, Dr Benjamin Jones said: “Seagrass conservation will not be transformed by isolated projects; it will be transformed by people working together across scales. Across the world, from small island communities to major research institutions, the talent, passion, and commitment to protect seagrass are everywhere. What isn’t evenly distributed is access to long-term funding and opportunity. If we are serious about reversing global decline, we must be serious about investing in people.” The Global Seagrass Challenge Fund is being established to mobilise £50 million to catalyse a step-change in global seagrass conservation by 2030 and beyond. This investment will enable a coordinated portfolio of locally led initiatives across priority regions — including the Tropical Atlantic, Western Indo-Pacific, Central Indo-Pacific, and Tropical Eastern Indo-Pacific — focused on protecting, restoring, and sustaining seagrass meadows of global significance for biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience. Coastal development damaging seagrass in Indonesia. Alex Bartlett, Project Seagrass Seagrass monitoring training guides. Project Seagrass Project Seagrass’ Senior Science Officer: International Programme, Dr Lucy Coals said: “When we brought together our partners for a recent workshop in Southeast Asia, it was striking how much expertise, innovation, and lived experience was already present in the room. What many partners shared, however, was that opportunities to access sustained funding and global platforms remain limited. The Global Seagrass Challenge Fund has been shaped directly by those conversations. It is designed to respond to what partners told us they need: long-term support, equitable collaboration, and recognition of their leadership.” The Fund builds on more than a decade of international expertise developed by Project Seagrass in understanding seagrass meadows as dynamic social-ecological systems. Drawing on its experience mobilising financial support for research and conservation globally, the organisation combines scientific excellence with education, partnership building, and the translation of theory into practice to strengthen capacity and accelerate impact. Dr Jones added: “We know the science. We understand the challenges. But conservation only succeeds when we back those already leading change on the ground. The Global Seagrass Challenge Fund is designed to recognise that expertise is globally distributed, in coastal communities, local NGOs, and Indigenous knowledge holders, yet access to sustained investment is not. By mobilising long-term funding, we are shifting power and opportunity closer to the meadows and the people who depend on them, ensuring that local leadership is matched with the financial and technical support it deserves.” The Global Seagrass Challenge Fund is now seeking investment. To be part of this global response donate today. Or contact globalchallenge@projectseagrass.org to discuss how you can shape the future of global seagrass conversation.
In Dale Bay, Pembrokeshire, a collaboration between local fishers and marine conservation charity Project Seagrass is showing positive results for both sustainable fishing and seagrass restoration. Dale Bay is the location of an ongoing seagrass restoration project, delivered by South Wales based charity Project Seagrass and overseen by the Dale Seagrass Stakeholder group (a group made up of local individuals across different sectors). The project began as a way to boost the natural seagrass meadow in the bay, trialling new techniques and raising awareness of the importance of seagrass for local biodiversity, water quality, and fish populations. Mark from Lilly May Fishing has worked with Project Seagrass from the start of the project to assist in site selection and deploying monitoring equipment. As the project has progressed, Mark noticed he was sometimes tearing up seagrass as he lifted his pots up to retrieve crab and lobster. In response to this, Mark designed a raised shellfish pot with short mesh legs to lift the gear just off the seabed. Made by local boat builders Robust Boats, the pots were deployed over the last two seasons with catch monitored over that time. Early results are positive showing that the new pot design is effective for storing crab catch, with some tweaks required for lobsters, whilst also reducing mud build-up and reducing the impact on the seagrass. Mark reported: “Overall, [it has] worked very well in seagrass – I would recommend using them as storage pots in shallow water where seagrass is as it’s very low impact on the grass with the mesh legs compared to steel bar bottoms” Project Seagrass is continuing to plant seagrass in Dale Bay alongside carrying out regular monitoring to determine seagrass recovery and resilience. It will be interesting to see how the natural meadow responds to the reduced impact from shellfish pots over time. Seagrass caught in pots (credit Mark Gainfort) Seagrass growing in Dale Bay, Pembrokeshire. Beyond Dale Across South & West Wales, fishers, anglers, spearfishers, aquaculture workers, and seafood gatherers have been taking part in a survey to share their local knowledge about seagrass and fishing areas. This information is helping identify the best sites for future seagrass restoration work. Full results will be released in the New Year, but early insights already show just how valuable local experience is in guiding conservation. If you’d like to take part, the survey is open until 31st January link here: https://t.ly/gxUSx What’s next? Project Seagrass will also be hosting a series of events in the New Year to celebrate sustainable local seafood and the amazing role seagrass plays in healthy seas. This work is made possible thanks to funding from the Nature Networks Programme which is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of Welsh Government, and Rebel Restoration.
