Can we regrow damaged seagrass meadows?
Seagrass protects coasts, shelters thousands of species and stores CO2. But some 30% of this valuable ecosystem has disappeared since the late 19th century. Can we bring it back?
In the cold waters off the coast of Dahme, northern Germany, divers are carefully working to regrow damaged seagrass meadows. Conservationists remove a few shoots from a donor meadow, ensuring the roots remain intact, and place them in a bag to be planted in a new location where seagrass can thrive. Scientists estimate that around 60% of the Baltic coast's seagrass meadows have disappeared, but the decline appears to have stopped.
Seagrass meadows provide numerous benefits, including sheltering wildlife, stabilizing the seabed, acting as natural filters, and storing carbon at a rate 30 to 50 times faster than forests. However, seagrass meadows are crucial habitats that need protection. Some countries, like those in the Indo-Pacific, have more extensive seagrass meadows, playing a significant role in their carbon balance.
A German start-up, ZosteraTec, is helping to make seagrass restoration easier by growing and multiplying seagrass shoots in an aquaculture setup. This allows for less diving work when laying the plants on the seabed. Researchers are also testing new methods to restore seagrass on a larger scale, including using seeds for greater genetic diversity.
Only time will reveal the success of these restoration efforts, as researchers visit planted meadows and assess their growth and functionality compared to the donor meadows.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
