Vibrant seagrass meadows once flourished around the UK but most have been destroyed. Now, communities and scientists are working to restore them
“T
here’s not many jobs where you get to be a sea gardener,” says Dr Oliver Thomas, senior science officer at Project Seagrass. He’s looking for flashes of eel grass that have survived the winter in the wide golden sand of Penrhyn beach on Ynys Môn (Anglesey), in north Wales.
But growing a meadow in the sea is not an easy job. Vast swathes of the gorgeous underwater swards, vital nurseries for fish such as cod, have been wiped out around the UK in the past century. Up to 92% have been lost. Restoring them – and their water-cleaning, carbon-storing, coast-protecting benefits – is a colossal challenge.
“Last October, this was looking great,” says Thomas. “But this winter’s obviously hit it harder than we’d anticipated. It’s rained a lot and it’s been very dark. But I am hopeful it will bounce back. There are roots there.” The mahogany rhizomes poking out are packed with sugars, ready to sprout green shoots as the sun returns.
