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Project Seagrass

Advancing seagrass conservation through education, influence, research and action  

  • SeagrassSpotter Zostera marina poster
    The Dugong & Seagrass Research Toolkit
    A toolkit to help you refine your research questions by asking WHAT information you need, WHY you need it, and WHICH techniques are the most effective and efficient.
  • SeagrassSpotter Posidonia oceanica poster
    SeagrassSpotter
    A conservation, monitoring and education tool to help us better understand seagrass meadows and the threats that face them around the world
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TOOLS FOR CONSERVATION

At Project Seagrass we believe that practical & physical tools are vital to better understand seagrasses, so that together, we can protect them. In this "age of technology", digital tools are our ally. 


Seagrass meadows globally are highlighted for their value as fish nurseries for many important species, including many species that we, as humans, eat. They absorb vast amounts of carbon, helping in the fight against climate change, and help to reduce pollution in coastal waters around the globe. But, despite their recognised importance, seagrass meadows are in a degraded and perilous state across the world. Confounding the problem is the lack of awareness of the existence and value of seagrass meadows.


Here at Project Seagrass we are constantly thinking of new ways to harness the power of technology to both develop practical seagrass conservation measures, and enhance seagrass awareness.

SeagrassSpotter

"A conservation and education tool that could lead to new discoveries about one of the ocean’s most under-appreciated habitats – seagrass."


With Seagrass Spotter, ocean enthusiasts around the world can become citizen scientists who contribute to marine conservation with just a few taps of their phone. 

We’ve made some important scientific breakthroughs with seagrass in recent years, but they remain incredibly threatened and are still under-appreciated globally. 

Seagrass Spotter seeks to build on this and expand the number of people studying seagrass from a handful of scientists to hundreds and potentially thousands of ‘citizen scientists.’ As part of efforts to build a sustainable monitoring network, and by leveraging the enthusiasm of everyone from fishers to SCUBA divers to people on vacations at the beach, we’ll create a more comprehensive picture of seagrass meadows around the globe. 

This in turn will inspire new scientific research and practical conservation measures that can help protect ocean habitats.  


Working together with citizen scientists all over the world, we’ll accomplish big things for seagrass and other vulnerable marine species, but only with your help.




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The Dugong & Seagrass Research Toolkit

Dugongs and seagrass are under threat from human activities. 


Systematic understanding of the overall status of dugongs and seagrass ecosystems across their range is hampered by inconsistencies in approaches to research, monitoring, data collection and reporting.


Robust information about the status of dugongs and seagrasses, and an understanding of the associated human communities is essential for management. However, there are many techniques and tools for collecting data and information, each with different costs and value for management and it can be difficult to determine the most appropriate approach to use without technical advice.


This Toolkit will help you refine your research questions by asking WHAT information do you need and WHY do you need it.  The Toolkit will show you WHICH techniques are the most effective and efficient for your team capacity, budget and timeline. The Toolkit will also offer ways to engage with your local communities whose cooperation you need. The information gained will help understand threats to dugongs and seagrasses and help find solutions to those threats while improving the livelihoods of local peoples.


The Toolkit is designed for use by marine natural resource managers (government and non-government), researchers and decision-makers undertaking dugong and seagrass research. 

Find out more