In 2024, the Project Seagrass team introduced the Seagrass Hug to our planting methodology. The method was developed by Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, and aims to determine whether surrounding seeding plots with more established transplants provides protection for emerging seeds in restoration practices.
In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. The Brent Goose Branta bernicla is of a similar size to a Mallard duck, making it one of the smallest goose species in the world. They are a
In 2024, the Project Seagrass team introduced the Seagrass Hug to our planting methodology. The method was developed by Anouska Mendzil, Senior Science Officer at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, and aims to determine whether surrounding seeding plots with more established transplants provides protection for emerging seeds in restoration practices. Anouska said: “In this restoration methodology trial we sought to incorporate different Zostera marina life stages by means of seeds and transplants, in a planting design aimed to minimise, and test, hydrodynamic impact on planted seagrass. By implementing multiple restoration strategies, we hope to improve seagrass restoration success and gain valuable knowledge in life-stage bottlenecks to seagrass survival and resilience, site-specific interactions, and insights for scaling-up. The Seagrass Consortium have been wonderful partners in collaborating on this cross-European wide trial, working towards furthering our understanding on seagrass meadow restoration, recovery, resilience and rehabilitation” Members of the Project Seagrass team planting seagrass seeds at Thorness, Isle of Wight using the DIS method. Photo credit Francesca Page. Members of the Project Seagrass team planting seagrass transplants at Thorness, Isle of Wight. Photo credit Francesca Page. The Seagrass Hug Method. Graphic provided by Anouska Mendzil Initial trials of the method took place as part of spring planting efforts in the Isle of Wight, in South England, forming part of active restoration work taking place as part of the Solent Seascape Project. The approach involves planting seagrass seeds using the Dispenser Injection Seeding (DIS) method (developed by The Fieldwork Company) and surrounding these seeding plots with more established seagrass transplants using a bare-root plant with anchoring peg. Project Seagrass’ planting trials used seagrass transplants grown from seed at our Seagrass Nursery in West Wales and local donor meadow transplants to provide the “hug” which will also be tested as part of the experiment. https://www.projectseagrass.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Template-Website-Images-Landscape.mp4 The Seagrass Hug planting design has been aligned with seagrass planting being undertaken by our partners at The Seagrass Consortium and has been replicated as part of restoration efforts in the Bay of Arcachon, Etang de Berre, the Bay of Santander, Oosterschelde in the Netherlands, North Wales and the Mediterranean Sea at Mallorca. Monitoring of these experimental plots including seagrass traits and environmental parameters will enable us to assess whether this approach provides protection for the emerging seeds. Scaling the trial in collaboration with international partners helps to build our collective knowledge. Results will be published and shared on SeagrassRestorer to share the findings openly and foster further collaboration within the seagrass community. A seagrass transplant prepared for planting as part of a Seagrass Hug in the Isle of Wight. Photo credit Francesca Page Spring 2025 planting efforts using the Seagrass Hug method. Photo credit Francesca Page
In a new blog series, our Conservation Trainee Abi David explores some of the amazing creatures that call seagrass meadows their home. The Brent Goose Branta bernicla is of a similar size to a Mallard duck, making it one of the smallest goose species in the world. They are a highly social species and form strong bonds within the groups they live in. If you spot a group of Brent Geese, look out for the ‘compass’ goose – this is the leader of the group and will lead the way between foraging areas. Depending on the species of Brent Goose, individuals may have a dark or light belly, along with a dark head and body, with adults having a small white patch on their necks. They can be seen throughout the UK during the autumn/ winter months in marine, intertidal or wetland areas. Dark bellied Brent Geese. Photo Credit Emma Butterworth Migration Just like many other bird species, Brent Geese carry out an annual migration. They spend summer months breeding and raising chicks in the Arctic and migrate to Western Europe for more temperate winters. Generally, the individuals we get overwintering here in the UK are from Siberia. Due to these long migration routes and small body size, Brent Geese have a high food demand meaning they heavily rely on stopovers to refuel. Their most popular stopover sites tend to be Zostera marina meadows. Large numbers of Brent Geese have been spotted for several weeks each year in Izembek Lagoon (Alaska), lagoons in Baja California, the German/Danish Wadden Sea, the Golfe du Morbihan (France), British estuaries, and the White Sea (Western Russian Arctic). Diet Brent Geese are heavily herbivorous and mainly consume seagrass. They have relatively short necks and lack the ability to dive so can only reach plants at low tide or in shallow water. Interestingly, during breeding season the geese will consume a wide range of plant species but show a strong preference for Zostera species throughout non-breeding seasons due to the high digestibility and nutritional value compared to other options. They have been observed eating both the leaves and rhizomes of the plants. Importance of seagrass for Brent Goose populations As mentioned previously, Brent Geese rely heavily on seagrass during their migrations. This can be seen in population trends. In the 1930s, Zostera species across the North American coast were heavily affected by wasting disease and there was a significant population decline. At the same time, a steep decline in Brent Goose population was also observed on both sides of the Atlantic, with estimates ranging from 75 – 90% of populations lost. During the 1950s, there was a good recovery of seagrass beds in the areas previously affected, which was followed by a recovery of Brent Goose populations from around 15,000 to over 100,000. Similar smaller scale events like this have been observed, showing just how important healthy seagrass meadows are for species like the Brent Goose that rely so heavily on them. Are Brent Geese bad for seagrass restoration? It could be argued that Brent Geese are bad for seagrass and bad for seagrass restoration due to their consumption of the plants. However, there is a bit more to it than that. Seagrass provides services for many species, and a food source is one of those. Anecdotally, there have been instances where restoration has occurred only for geese to come along and eat all of the freshly planted shoots, which really isn’t ideal. In the scientific literature, there is mixed evidence about how much the geese will consume and how this affects the meadow’s health, which makes it difficult to quantify their impact. Some research notes that the percent the geese eat out of the whole meadow is actually quite small and a healthy meadow should have no issue recovering from any damage. The geese could even be useful in seagrass restoration. They tend to only be seen where food is available and as such are an indicator species for the health of an ecosystem. Like all birds, they are useful for their ability to spread nutrients and seeds through their faeces, helping to spread plant species more widely than they would on their own. Additionally, they are an important food source for predators such as foxes and raptors in their Arctic breeding grounds. Brent Geese, like any other species using seagrass, are carrying out behaviours that have evolved over thousands of years. Therefore, the question of whether geese are bad for seagrass restoration is not a straightforward one. What do you think? Sources: Ganter, B. (2000). Seagrass ( Zostera spp.) as food for brent geese ( Branta bernicla ): an overview. Helgoland Marine Research, 54(2–3), 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s101520050003 Find out more the role that seagrass plays for migratory birds here.
