Seagrass restoration project for the UK
Seagrass is a key seabed habitat, but it is also one of the most rapidly declining on earth due to coastal development, damage from boat propellers, chain moorings and pollution. Project Seagrass (https://seagrass.org.uk) states on its website that “as much as 92% of the UK’s seagrass has been lost.”
But all is not lost. Project Seagrass, in collaboration with WWF, Sky Zero and Swansea University, has shown that seagrass restoration is possible in the UK and now they want to continue to plant hope.
The team has developed an approach that makes them underwater gardeners, collecting and planting seagrass seeds in locations around the UK coastline, according to Scubaverse.
Credit: Project Seagrass
Restoring seagrass beds will help enhance biodiversity as well as providing an essential carbon store. Seagrass seeds are collected each summer by staff, students, volunteers and community groups across the UK. After the seeds are collected, they are transported to the laboratory at Swansea University in Wales where they are processed and packaged for planting out. Once the seed bags are ready, they are planted in the sea on BoSS lines.
To date, the project has restored 2ha of seagrass off the coast of Wales, but has set a target of 3000ha (30km2) by 2030.
Boaters can support the work that the Project Seagrass is doing by taking care when anchoring or manoeuvring in shallower areas. For more information and advice on how to do this visit The Green Blue.
