The UK-wide survey is being delivered by marine conservation organisation Project Seagrass and aims to gather the first UK-wide insights into attitudes towards Advanced Mooring Systems. The short, anonymous survey is open for responses until 18th March 2027 and the findings will be used to inform the development of sustainable
New research provides one of the first documented cases of a marine heatwave undermining restoration efforts at a site in Northern Europe. Forecasting extreme weather events will be essential to the success of future marine restoration efforts and Ocean recovery. A marine heatwave has undermined the success of
The first large-scale analysis of its kind estimates that at least 18 million people living in poverty across the Indo-Pacific fish in seagrass meadows. Around 6.5 million may depend entirely on these overlooked habitats for fishing and subsistence. Researchers warn that seagrass decline could deepen hunger, economic insecurity, and inequality
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
The UK-wide survey is being delivered by marine conservation organisation Project Seagrass and aims to gather the first UK-wide insights into attitudes towards Advanced Mooring Systems. The short, anonymous survey is open for responses until 18th March 2027 and the findings will be used to inform the development of sustainable marine infrastructure that works for both people and nature. Participate in Research Coastal users are invited to share their views as part of a new survey surrounding seagrass conservation, anchoring, and Advanced Mooring Systems. The UK-wide research is being conducted by marine conservation organisation Project Seagrass and aims to provide the first UK-wide insights into knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards Advanced Mooring Systems or eco-moorings. Seagrass typically occurs in shallow, sheltered waters along our coastlines, often co-existing with locations popular for boating and other marine activities. Seagrass meadows enhance enjoyment of time spent on the water in a number of ways; they improve water quality, provide a haven for wildlife, and support fishing activity by providing nursery habitat for many fish species. Yet, boating activity can pose a risk to seagrass meadows primarily as a result of physical damage caused by anchors, chains, or propellors, all of which can cause physical damage within meadows. Repeated disturbances can fragment and alter long-established seagrass meadows, reducing this important marine habitat and diminishing the benefits provided by the seagrass. Drone imagery depicting mooring scars within seagrass meadow An Advanced Mooring System prepared for installation at Seaview, Isle of Wight Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS) are one approach being utilised to protect seagrass meadows whilst also supporting boating activity. Designed to protect sensitive marine habitats such as seagrass meadows, AMS use elasticated or riser systems which keep chains from scouring and/or damaging the seabed. With an increase in interest in Advanced Mooring Systems, Project Seagrass is undertaking research to better understand current knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes surrounding these systems. Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and the study lead said: “Advanced Mooring Systems are increasingly being considered as a way of reducing the physical impacts of anchoring and mooring on sensitive marine habitats like seagrass, but their success depends on much more than the technology itself. We need to understand what boaters know and understand about these systems, how they perceive them, and what factors influence their willingness to use them. By gathering views from across the UK, this research will provide an important evidence base and help us identify gaps that could help inform future research, conservation approaches, policy and management and the development of sustainable marine infrastructure that works for both people and nature.” The short, anonymous survey opened on 18th September 2026 and is open for responses until the 18th March 2027. The results will be used to produce an open-access peer-reviewed paper alongside being shared on the Project Seagrass website. . By taking part in the survey you are contributing to research on sustainable marine infrastructure. Participate in Research
New research provides one of the first documented cases of a marine heatwave undermining restoration efforts at a site in Northern Europe. Forecasting extreme weather events will be essential to the success of future marine restoration efforts and Ocean recovery. A marine heatwave has undermined the success of seagrass restoration efforts at a site in North Wales, new research has found. Over 1.1 million seagrass seeds were planted at sites in two bays in north Wales between 2023 and 2024 as part of Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North Wales, the UK’s largest active seagrass restoration programme. Despite being located less than 50km apart, the planting efforts in Bae Caergybi saw seedling establishment and overwinter survival where the planting at Bae Tremadog failed. Research undertaken by a team of scientists from Project Seagrass, Swansea University, the Met Office, and North Wales Wildlife Trust and supported by staff from WWF and Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC), revealed the impact that a marine heatwave had on the restoration efforts at Bae Tremadog, alongside the implications of this for future seagrass restoration planning. Dr Oliver Thomas, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass said, “As another record-breaking year for global temperatures gets underway, this research is highly relevant in showcasing the risk marine heatwaves pose to ongoing marine restoration efforts. Our hope is that the findings of this paper will assist other practitioners in futureproofing their own projects, facilitating greater restoration success in the long term” Planting seagrass using the DIS method at Pen y Chain Feb 2023 Monitoring seagrass at Pen y chain September 2023 Marine heatwaves are periods of extreme sea surface temperature that persist for 5 days or more and can have severe effects on our Ocean’s wildlife, including the destruction of marine habitats. Over the last century there has been a global increase in marine heatwave frequency and duration as a result of a rapidly changing climate, including in locations which were previously considered to be low risk such as the north Atlantic. Satellite and ground-level environmental data revealed that the failure of seedling establishment in Bae Tremadog coincided with a rapid-onset marine heatwave, during which sea surface temperatures increased by 3.5 °C in a week and intertidal temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius during low tides. By contrast, Bae Caergybi experienced cooler and more stable conditions. Dr Caroline Rowland, head of Ocean Cryosphere & Climate at the Met Office said, “The frequency and duration of marine heatwaves is increasing around the UK: as our waters warm, it becomes easier to cross the line into marine heatwave conditions. This week is a clear example of this, when long hours of sunshine, low winds and high levels of atmospheric moisture have triggered widespread marine heatwave conditions.” Ricardo Zanre, Senior Programme Manager- UK Seascapes at WWF UK said: “As the UK experiences another heatwave, this research shows that the impacts of rising temperatures don’t stop on land. Nature is our ally, and the lesson from this study is we need to restore nature smarter. By understanding which sites are most resilient to marine heatwaves and using the latest science to guide restoration efforts, we can give seagrass meadows the best possible chance to recover and support thriving marine wildlife. Without urgent action on climate change, temperatures will continue to rise along with the risks to both people and nature.” The research highlights the need to incorporate regional-scale models of the likelihood of future marine heatwaves and long-term temperature trends when selecting restoration sites. The Met Office has triggered work to provide marine heatwave forecasts so that users of marine information, such as the Seagrass Ocean Rescue partners can make informed decisions. Prioritising sites with greater environmental stability will be essential to the success of Ocean recovery efforts. Publication detailsPaper title:Marine heat waves endanger the rebuilding of marine life Journal: Environmental Research Letters Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North WalesThe Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North Wales programme is being managed by WWF, inpartnership with Project Seagrass, the North Wales Wildlife Trust, 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.
The first large-scale analysis of its kind estimates that at least 18 million people living in poverty across the Indo-Pacific fish in seagrass meadows. Around 6.5 million may depend entirely on these overlooked habitats for fishing and subsistence. Researchers warn that seagrass decline could deepen hunger, economic insecurity, and inequality in some of the World’s most vulnerable coastal communities. A groundbreaking new study provides the first large-scale empirical evidence that seagrass meadows act as a critical safety net for millions of coastal people living in extreme poverty across the Indo-Pacific. Led by scientists from the world’s leading seagrass conservation organisation Project Seagrass, the research found that at least ~18m people in poverty across the Indo-Pacific fish in seagrass meadows, including ~6.5m who are entirely dependent on the habitat for subsistence and fishing-related income. Seagrasses are flowering plants that form extensive underwater meadows along shallow coastlines. Although less familiar than coral reefs or tropical forests, these meadows support accessible fisheries that can be reached on foot or with limited equipment, making them especially important to households with few alternative sources of food or income. Women and other marginalised groups frequently play central roles in these fisheries. The research identifies that, across the Indo-Pacific, households in extreme poverty were significantly more likely to be entirely dependent on seagrass meadows for their fishing activities, with seagrass-dependent households found to earn ~23% less than other fishers. The data makes visible a population of millions of people in poverty whose livelihoods intersect with a habitat that remains largely absent from poverty, development, and conservation agendas. By linking household-level poverty data with seagrass-proximate population estimates, the study reveals a largely invisible population whose livelihoods are closely tied to one of the world’s most overlooked marine habitats. The findings suggest that reliance on seagrass fisheries may reinforce a coastal poverty trap, where households with few alternatives remain dependent on low-income livelihoods connected to vulnerable seagrass ecosystems. Dr Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer at Project Seagrass and one of the lead researchers on the study said: “This study changes how the world needs to see seagrass. These aren’t just meadows for fish, for turtles or carbon. They’re hidden safety nets for millions of people. When seagrass disappears, it’s not just nature that’s lost. Food, income and security disappear with it, often for the people least responsible for its decline and least able to adapt. Seagrass loss is a direct threat to food security, livelihoods and justice across some of the world’s most climate vulnerable coastlines.” Women prepare seagrass catch, Sri Lanka. Credit Benjamin Jones, Project Seagrass Women collecting invertebrates at low tide, Mozambique. Credit Benjamin Jones, Project Seagrass The research highlights the importance of integrating seagrass ecosystems into poverty alleviation and sustainable development strategies in order to break this cycle. Failure to do so risks deepening coastal poverty and worsening food insecurity, undermining progress toward SDGs 1 and 2 (ending poverty and hunger). Only by recognising seagrass ecosystems within poverty-focused policy and aid interventions can we avoid exacerbating inequality and instead support more resilient and equitable coastal futures. Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, CEO at Project Seagrass, said: “More than 20 years ago in Indonesia, coastal communities and local colleagues helped me understand something that was still largely absent from global conservation debates; that some of the world’s poorest coastal communities were relying on seagrass meadows every day for food and income. Since then, many colleagues, collaborators, and communities have contributed to building the evidence behind that relationship. This study allows us to see its scale for the first time. Behind these figures are millions of real people for whom seagrass loss isn’t an abstract environmental problem; it can mean the loss of food, income and security. That, has profound implications for how the world thinks about seagrass conservation.” Fisher in seagrass (Enhalus acoroides) Sanur, Bali, Indonesia Credit Ben Jones, Project Seagrass An artisanal fisher collects sea urchins in seagrass Credit Benjamin Jones Project Seagrass Seagrass meadows across the Indo-Pacific experience a range of threats, primarily as a result of coastal development and land-based pollution. In many places, the communities most dependent on seagrass meadows have little influence over the decisions driving their decline. With dependencies on seagrass only expected to intensify under widening wealth inequalities, population growth, and accelerating climate change, the research reinforces the need for effective sustainable development, food security, fisheries and conservation strategies that avoid exacerbating existing inequality. Dr Richard Unsworth, Chief Scientific Officer at Project Seagrass and study co-author: “The world has largely treated seagrass loss as a specialist conservation problem. This study shows that it is also a development and food-security issue. Governments and international donors cannot credibly address coastal poverty while allowing the ecosystems underpinning local food systems to disappear.” Investment in seagrass conservation and sustainable fisheries could support more secure and dignified coastal futures, transforming seagrass meadows from a last-resort resource into a foundation for resilience across the region. Contact Project Seagrass to discuss opportunities to support global seagrass conservation. Publication details Paper title: Seagrass fisheries expose the poverty dimensions of marine conservation Journal: Nature Sustainability
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.
