Seagrass, the marine super-plant, is set to receive a boost on the Isle of Wight.
An initiative to seed and support new and existing underwater seagrass meadows in the Island’s coastal waters is now underway.
The Seagrass Ocean Rescue is a wide-reaching three-year restoration programme led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Swansea University and the conservation charity Project Seagrass, with help from Island-based environmentalists at Sandown’s Arc Consulting.
The collaborative effort will be shaped with help and advice from local community groups and stakeholders in 2022.
Leanne Cullen-Unsworth at Project Seagrass said:
“Seagrass meadows are critical habitats providing benefits that support the survival of every living thing on Earth.
“Seagrasses produce oxygen, clean our coastal water, absorb greenhouse gas emissions, and help keep our ocean healthy which stabilises the climate — both global and local.
“While up to 90 per cent of our seagrass has disappeared in the UK, we’ve been surprised and excited to see that the Isle of Wight is still a stronghold.”
Read more:
https://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/isle-of-wight-news/new-isle-of-wight-collaboration-to-seed-community-led-seagrass-restoration/