This solution was proposed in several stories in our anthology such as The Caretaker, Mangrove Maj, The Envelope and Penang Fairhaven: A Visitor’s Guide. There are several seagrass/kelp replanting projects underway around the world, but they are struggling. Seagrass/kelp areas are often challenged by pollution, global warming or other combinations of problems.
Our experts have classified this solution as ‘low hanging fruit’ (relatively low cost/quick win).
How does this solution rate on:
| Climate impact: tonnes of carbon saved/removed | A slow and steady system. |
| Climate adaptation-resilience | Restores what has been lost, but it is vulnerable to further changes. |
| Social justice i.e. addresses inequalities, diversity, inclusion | May help local communities. |
| Cost of action needed to progress goal | Low. |
| Which location is the solution most needed/applicable | The most appropriate locations had or have sea grass and it needs to be restored. All and any areas where manatees and dugongs are present should be immediately gazetted and all other activities banned or very closely controlled. As climate changes, new locations may become viable. |
| Risk | Negative risk – any seagrass that goes in is a good thing. |
| Feasibility | Can be done today, but clearly some areas very challenged. |
Do your own research on the solution
Seagrass grows best in water between 1m and 5 m deep on sand or silt, but can grow deeper in very clear seas where sun can penetrate further. It’s not just about planting new seagrass, but also stopping the destruction of existing seagrass, which typically happens by pollution, dredging and recreation. For example, the UK has lost 90% of its seagrass. The main culprit tends to be pollution from industry and agriculture, especially phosphates and nitrates from farming and detergents. Conserving and restoring seagrass was estimated by the World Resources Institute to be one of the most effective ocean-based climate change solutions as it absorbs about 10% of the oceans’ carbon while occupying < .01% of the seafloor. Per hectare it absorbs greenhouses gases 35 times more effectively than tropical forest. More information can be found on the radio programme, 39 ways to save the planet.
Case study: Hurricanes and disease eradicated seagrass, and associated scallop fisheries from lagoons in Virginia. This was restored by sowing seagrass seeds over a limited area which then spread via natural dispersal, restoring seagrass cover, enabling the return of fish and scallops, cleaner water, and carbon capture.
kelp/seaweed similarly capture carbon dioxide, locking up an estimated 64 million tonnes every year in the ocean (>1% of annula human-made emissions). More information can be found on the radio programme, 39 ways to save the planet.
Case study: GreenWave based in New England farm kelp alongside shellfish and specialize in finding new markets for seaweed in supplements, animal feed, fertilizer and food. As well as capturing carbon, kelp forests provide a habitat for marine life. The environmental benefits of such projects are especially obvious where seaweed farms can be situated between windfarms where trawling is banned and the service infrastructure already exists.
The Solent Seagrass Restoration Project (HIWWT)
The Solent seagrass meadows are of international importance. By protecting and restoring them HIWWT hope to create a wilder solent, supporting increased biodiversity and sustainable fisheries, promoting cleaner water and a natural carbon solution to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The two species the project are working with in the Solent are zostera marina (common eel grass) and nanozostera noltei (dwarf eel-grass)
Seagrasses add structure to the seabed, providing a vital foraging and refuge habitat for numerous species, including sea anemones, jellyfish, sea slugs, pipefish and seahorses and act as nurseries for baby cod, pollock and sea bass. They absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide and are incredibly important in the fight against climate change. They also improve our water quality and protect our shores from coastal erosion.
Sadly, our seagrass meadows are under significant pressure. Over the past century the UK coastline has lost 90% of its seagrass meadows. In the 1920s and ’30s a significant proportion of seagrass died from a wasting disease, and there has been little recovery since.
This is where the Solent Seagrass Restoration Project comes in. In partnership with Boskalis Westminster, the University of Portsmouth and FatFace Foundation their aim is to protect the existing seagrass and to restore what’s been lost.
Together with an army of volunteers, they have been monitoring and surveying existing seagrass meadows, identifying their extent and recording which ones are growing and flowering well. As well as using this information to work with local communities and achieve bye-laws to protect them, they are actively replanting.
Developing seeds are collected each summer and taken to the aquarium tanks at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Science. The seeds are left to mature, then cleaned, sorted and processed ready for planting.
They have completed nine seagrass deployments since December 2021 across two sites – Farlington in Langstone Harbour and Seaview on the Isle of Wight – planting over 132 thousand common and 27 thousand dwarf eel grass seeds.
There are early signs of success, and monitoring is continuing across both sites. The ultimate aim is to see seagrass in all places which can support it.
You can find out more at hiwwt.org.uk/seagrass-restoration.com
You can read more about seagrass in Wild Seas, Wilder Cities (https://pensoftheearth.co.uk/the-book/) a book of upbeat fiction, memoir, poems and environmental articles with the ethos of ‘local action wherever you are’. By doing so you’ll be helping to support the vital work of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts’s (HIWWT) Solent Seagrass Restoration Project as all proceeds from the sales of this book go to this project.
Interested in progressing this solution further?
| Actions for policymakers | All and any areas where manatees and dugongs are present should be immediately gazetted and all other activities banned or very closely controlled. Ban trawling and inshore activities that damage seagrass. Fine operations which release excess nutrients that cause dead zones. Regulation for industry, farmers and water companies to prevent water pollution. Have national programmes to restore seagrass. |
| Actions for funding bodies | Provide full funding for dozens of projects in multiple locations around the world. |
| Actions for business | Sponsor large areas of seagrass and encourage the involvement of staff with the programmes. |
| Actions for public | Avoid all forms of seafood that are harvested by trawling, one of the most damaging forms of fishing. Find your government representative or Member of Parliament and email them, whether you are in Australia; Canada; UK; USA or elsewhere. Social media campaigns & lobbying of governments. Join campaigns such as about Surfers Against Sewage | Environmental charity tackling plastic pollution (sas.org.uk). |
