New study shows coastal users can provide valuable insights that strengthen restoration planning and long-term project success Fishers and anglers possess valuable local knowledge that can help identify suitable locations for seagrass restoration, new research published by Project Seagrass shows. The study, conducted along the South Wales coastline, found that
New research finds that seagrass meadows support fish that can be more valuable for human nutrition than fish found on coral reefs Seagrass meadows play a majorly overlooked role in providing nutrition for coastal communities, a new study published in Cell Reports Sustainability has uncovered. The study, led by
Field discovery reveals a healthy and apparently expanding seagrass meadow in one of the UK’s most challenging estuarine environments Marine conservation organisation Project Seagrass has found a previously undocumented intertidal seagrass meadow in Cardiff, within the Severn Estuary. The newly discovered meadow, which was found by Project Seagrass’ Chief Conservation Officer Dr Benjamin Jones, does
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
A new study shows that seagrass fisheries provide a reliable safety-net for poor fishermen, since they perceive those habitats to maintain large fish catches over time. Surprisingly, even more so than coral reef fisheries, which people normally associate with small-scale fishery. Seagrass meadows are routinely used as a fishing habitat
New study shows coastal users can provide valuable insights that strengthen restoration planning and long-term project success Fishers and anglers possess valuable local knowledge that can help identify suitable locations for seagrass restoration, new research published by Project Seagrass shows. The study, conducted along the South Wales coastline, found that areas identified by coastal users as suitable for seagrass restoration closely matched locations where seagrass is already known to occur. The findings highlight the potential for local ecological knowledge to complement scientific habitat suitability models and improve restoration planning. Interest in seagrass restoration is growing worldwide in response to the climate and biodiversity crises, with restoration projects increasingly relying on habitat suitability models to identify potential restoration sites. Whilst these tools play an important role in guiding restoration efforts, the new research highlights the value of using these models in combination with the knowledge held by people who interact with coastal environments every day, often over decades and across generations. Flo Taylor, Stakeholder Engagement Officer at Project Seagrass: “Fishers and anglers are present on our coastlines sometimes every day and have generations of knowledge and experience built over time as a collective. Their memories and experiences are incredibly valuable alongside scientific research, and we really appreciate every person who shared some of that knowledge with us as part of this study. As a science-led marine conservation charity, by working together with local communities, we can make our restoration work stronger and more sustainable.” Catshark in seagrass. Credit Shannon Moran, Ocean Image Bank Cuttlefish eggs in seagrass. Credit, Richard Unsworth, Project Seagrass Researchers invited fishers and anglers from across South Wales to identify locations they believed would be suitable for seagrass restoration, as well as areas where restoration efforts should be avoided. Coastal users contributed their insights through an online survey and a participatory mapping exercise. Participants consistently identified sheltered bays, estuaries and shallow coastal waters as suitable locations for restoration, including hotspots within Milford Haven Waterway, Fishguard Bay, the Burry Inlet, and around Barry Island. One unexpected finding was that many of the locations identified as suitable for restoration already contain seagrass meadows. Researchers suggest this may reflect a broader public understanding of restoration that includes protecting, enhancing and supporting the recovery of existing habitats, rather than only planting seagrass in new locations. The study also explored how coastal users perceive seagrass meadows and restoration efforts more broadly. Perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with 85% of respondents agreeing that seagrass benefits the wider environment and 69% agreeing that seagrass is beneficial to the species they catch. Similar levels of support were recorded for seagrass restoration initiatives. The findings highlight the importance of integrating local ecological knowledge into restoration planning from the outset. Community support, stakeholder engagement and local stewardship are increasingly recognised as critical factors in determining whether restoration projects succeed over the long term, beyond ecological conditions alone. By combining scientific modelling with the experience of coastal users, restoration practitioners can identify opportunities, constraints and potential conflicts earlier, improving decision-making and increasing the likelihood of long-term success. The research was funded through the Nature Networks Programme, delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government, and by Rebel Restoration
New research finds that seagrass meadows support fish that can be more valuable for human nutrition than fish found on coral reefs Seagrass meadows play a majorly overlooked role in providing nutrition for coastal communities, a new study published in Cell Reports Sustainability has uncovered. The study, led by researchers at Project Seagrass and Stockholm University found that fish living in seagrass meadows can provide a richer mix of essential nutrients than fish living on nearby coral reefs. Coral reefs are famous for supporting large numbers of fish. But this new study reveals that seagrass meadows may be equally important, and in some cases even more important, for the fish that people actually catch and eat. The research team studied fish from 20 seagrass meadows and 20 coral reefs along a 3,000km stretch of coastline between Kenya and Mozambique. They investigated the presence of six key nutrients that people need to stay healthy – calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids – within the fish found along this stretch of coastline. Instead of looking at each nutrient one by one, the scientists instead treated fish more like natural multivitamins. “Fish don’t nourish people one nutrient at a time,” said Dr Benjamin Jones, who carried out the research as a PhD student at Stockholm University and is now Chief Conservation Officer at Project Seagrass. “They come as a package. A single fish contains iron, zinc, calcium, selenium, vitamin A, and omega-3s. We wanted to understand which habitats produce fish with the best mix of these nutrients.” After accounting for differences in fish biomass, the team found that seagrass fish communities were, on average, 1.6 times more nutritionally rich than coral reef fish communities. The difference was even larger when the team focused on the fish species most often caught by fishers in East Africa. For the top three most important food fish species, nutrient support was over 8 times higher in seagrass meadows than coral reefs. Two important food fish prized in the region, rabbitfish and parrotfish, were also far more common in seagrass meadows. In terms of biomass, they were 5 times and 65 times more abundant in seagrass than on coral reefs. “We know that coral reefs have more fish overall, but seagrass meadows had more of the fish that really matter for local food,” said Dr Jones. “This changes how we should think about these habitats. Seagrass isn’t just a fish nursery, nor just a carbon stock, it’s food infrastructure, nature’s own supermarket.” Four rabbitfish in seagrass. Photo credit: Ben Jones Rabbitfish in market. Ben Jones Millions of people in tropical coastal regions rely on fisheries for food and income, and many of these communities face poverty, limited livelihood options, and high risks of malnutrition. The study also found that an average seagrass fish could provide around 5% of a young child’s daily iron needs, 70% of their selenium needs, and 21% of their zinc needs highlighting the overlooked role that seagrass meadows play in supporting the health of coastal communities. The findings also challenge the way that ocean conservation is often framed. Coral reefs attract global attention, and rightly so. They are rich in biodiversity and support major fisheries. However, these important ecosystems are under severe pressure from climate change, bleaching, ocean warming, acidification, and overfishing. Seagrass meadows are also declining, especially in tropical regions, because of poor water quality, sewage pollution, coastal development, sediment runoff, and physical damage. Yet they receive far less attention and funding despite the wealth of benefits they provide. The authors argue that this must change. “If we lose seagrass meadows, we are not just losing habitat,” said Dr Jones. “We may be losing a source of nutrition for millions of people who need it most.” The study argues that seagrass should not replace coral reefs in conservation priorities. Instead, it shows that the two habitats do different jobs and need equal attention. Coral reefs support more fish biomass. Seagrass meadows provide reliable access to key food fish that can contain a powerful mix of nutrients. “Reefs and seagrass meadows work together,” said Dr Jones. “If we want coastal fisheries to feed people, we need to protect the whole seascape.” The researchers say that protecting seagrass for food security will require more than drawing boundaries in the sea. Most threats to seagrass come from land. Better sewage treatment, cleaner rivers, reduced sediment runoff, improved farming practices, and locally fair fisheries management are all needed to ensure the protection of our remaining seagrass meadows. They also warn that seagrass conservation must not ignore the people who depend on these habitats. As interest grows in protecting seagrass for blue carbon, communities must not be pushed away from fishing grounds that support their diets and livelihoods. “Seagrass conservation has to be about people as well as nature,” said Dr Jones. “These meadows store carbon, support biodiversity, and help feed millions. That makes them one of the most important ecosystems on Earth.” The message from the study is simple: secure seagrass meadows, and we help secure food and nutrition for coastal communities. Key Findings Seagrass fish communities were 1.6 times more nutritionally rich than coral reef fish communities after accounting for fish biomass and depth. For the top three regional food fish species, estimated nutrient availability was 8.4 times higher in unfished seagrass meadows than unfished coral reefs. In fished areas, predicted nutrient support from these same species was 8.8 times higher in seagrass meadows than coral reefs. Two important food fish were far more common in seagrass: Siganus sutor was 5 times higher by biomass, and Leptoscarus vaigiensis was 65 times higher by biomass. An average seagrass-associated fish could provide around 5% of a young child’s daily iron needs, 70% of selenium needs, and 21% of zinc needs. The study shows that seagrass meadows should be recognised as vital food-security habitats, not just biodiversity or carbon habitats. The study, “Seagrass meadows sustain fish communities vital for human nutrition,” is
Field discovery reveals a healthy and apparently expanding seagrass meadow in one of the UK’s most challenging estuarine environments Marine conservation organisation Project Seagrass has found a previously undocumented intertidal seagrass meadow in Cardiff, within the Severn Estuary. The newly discovered meadow, which was found by Project Seagrass’ Chief Conservation Officer Dr Benjamin Jones, does not seem to appear in existing Natural Resources Wales records or available habitat maps. The site has now been mapped and will be shared with the relevant agencies so that it can be added to the evidence base for Wales’ coastal habitats. The two newly mapped patches of seagrass cover close to 1,000 m² in total. While this figure may sound small in a world of large conservation targets, this is a particularly significant find in this part of the Severn Estuary. The meadow sits within one of the most physically dynamic coastal environments in the world, shaped by the second largest tidal range on Earth and exposed to a complex mix of pressures from climate change, coastal squeeze, degraded water quality, historic contamination, industrial influence, and coastal development. In that context, nearly 1,000 m² of living seagrass in Cardiff is promising news. Dr Jones said: “Finding this meadow was a genuine bucket list moment. I have worked on seagrass for years, but I have never found a meadow that nobody seemed to know was there. Yes, it may be small in global conservation terms, but it does not feel small when you are standing there looking at it in the Severn Estuary. Most importantly, it is now on the map.” The meadow is made up of eelgrass, or Zostera marina, a species of seagrass found around the UK coastline. On the evening the meadow was found, the plants appeared healthy with seed and flower laden shoots visible. Zostera marina seagrass meadow discovered in Cardiff The two newly mapped patches of seagrass cover close to 1,000 m² in total. Examination of available satellite imagery suggests that the seagrass meadow has been present since at least 2006 and has increased in size over time. However, it was only possible to recognise those faint historical signs once the meadow had been found in the field and its location was known. Dr Jones said: “We do not yet know the full story of this meadow. The satellite imagery helps us look backwards, but only because we knew where to look. What matters now is to verify the record, monitor the meadow, and understand whether this is persistence, recovery, expansion, or something linked to nearby restoration activity.” This new finding highlights how easily small coastal habitats can remain hidden until someone sees them on the ground. Citizen scientist initiatives such as SeagrassSpotter have an important role to play in this mapping, encouraging the public to upload their seagrass sightings and contribute to a growing dataset mapping the World’s seagrass. The finding comes at a time of growing interest in seagrass conservation, restoration and recovery across Wales and the wider UK. For over a decade, Project Seagrass has been working to conserve and better understand seagrass habitats across Welsh waters and globally, including in the Severn Estuary, where restoration is challenging but important for nature recovery. The Severn Estuary faces a difficult environmental future. Rising sea levels and stronger storms are increasing flood and erosion risks, while natural habitats such as mudflats and saltmarshes are increasingly squeezed against hard coastal infrastructure. Water quality remains a major concern, with pressures from sewage discharges, nutrient runoff, agricultural pollution and wider catchment impacts. Historical industrial activity has also left a legacy of contaminants in parts of the estuary. Against that backdrop, the presence of a healthy, reproductive and apparently expanding intertidal Zostera marina meadow in Cardiff is a reminder that nature can still surprise us. This discovery does not mean the estuary is free from pressure or that recovery is guaranteed. It does however highlight why local observation remains an essential part of marine conservation. “There are still meadows out there waiting to be found,” said Jones. “Sometimes conservation starts with noticing what others have missed. This meadow is now visible. That gives us the chance to learn from it, monitor it, and hopefully protect it.” Project Seagrass will now work to verify the record, share the mapped data with relevant agencies, and continue monitoring the site to understand its condition, persistence, expansion and possible relationship with wider seagrass recovery in the Severn Estuary. You can upload your seagrass sightings to SeagrassSpotter.
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.
A new study shows that seagrass fisheries provide a reliable safety-net for poor fishermen, since they perceive those habitats to maintain large fish catches over time. Surprisingly, even more so than coral reef fisheries, which people normally associate with small-scale fishery. Seagrass meadows are routinely used as a fishing habitat across the Indo-Pacific region to sustain millions of households by providing fish and other animals for food and income from fishing. A new study in Ocean and Coastal Management investigated how and why households use seagrass meadows across Cambodia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific region by conducting interviews that asked what habitats they used and which they preferred. Benjamin Jones, director of Project Seagrass and PhD student at the Department of Ecology Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, says: “Seagrass was the most common habitat used for fishing. Nearly half of all households we talked to preferred fishing in seagrass over other habitats such as coral, mangroves, open ocean, mud and rock for example. This was surprising because most people think of reef fisheries as the key tropical small-scale fishery, but we show that its actually engagement in seagrass fisheries that are much more characteristic of households.” When the researchers asked the fishermen why they preferred seagrass, they expressed a general feeling of reliability: seagrass meadows always provide large catches and fish and invertebrates are always found there. This is likely due to the ecological role that seagrass meadows play for fish. They provide valuable nursery habitats with lots of places for fish to hide and grow which means that there is often a high abundance of fish present. The study also revealed that 3 in 20 people across the region were reliant on seagrass meadows as their fishing ground and did not fish anywhere else. The research from households in 147 villages also revealed that reliance on seagrass meadows was strongly influenced by household income: “Household income had two different effects. On one hand, poorer households were less likely to own motorboats. These were reliant on seagrass as they were unable to fish elsewhere, seagrass is close to shore and easy to access without a motor. On the other hand, wealthier households were more likely to own certain types of fishing gear that incentivized them to use seagrass due to high rewards and low effort requirements. These were static fishing fences that don’t require a fisherman to be present” says Benjamin Jones. Study co-author and fellow Project Seagrass director Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, says “Our results highlight the need for empirical household scale data for management of seagrass meadows. People use and value seagrass for many different reasons so safeguarding seagrass is vital to ensure that all people, all of the time, have equitable and equal access to the resources seagrass provides.” The study was a collaboration between scientists from Stockholm University, Project Seagrass, Swansea University, Uppsala University, Hasanuddin University, among others. Open Access paper: Jones, B.L.H.; Unsworth, R.K.F.; Nordlund, L.M.; Eklöf, J.S.; Ambo-Rappe, R.; Carly, F.; Jiddawi, N.S.; La Nafie, Y.A.; Udagedara, S.; Cullen-Unsworth, L.C. Dependence on seagrass fisheries governed by household income and adaptive capacity. Ocean & Coastal Management 2022, 225, doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106247.
