Greening the blue - subtidal seagrass restoration in the UK, a roadmap to scaling

Seagrass is a vital ocean ecosystem for biodiversity, carbon sequestration and a range of other ecosystem services. The habitat is at risk from diverse threats including damaging fishing practices, water quality, increased storm activities and recreational pressures; with areal losses of ~40% in the UK since the 1980s, and estimates of loss rates up to 7% globally, annually. Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) is working with a wide range of partners and communities to protect and restore subtidal seagrass across the Southern region of England. To restore subtidal seagrass requires an interdisciplinary approach, spanning the development of established cultivation techniques, technological advances in monitoring, scientific research to address knowledge gaps, community engagement and blue finance. OCT is working with collaborators across these to develop to a suite of solutions that represent a sustainably financed and ecologically viable approach to the restoration of temperate subtidal seagrass.

Here the OCT presents successful seagrass restoration techniques developed through the EU-funded LIFE Recreational ReMEDIES Project, continuation of this restoration work through the Blue Meadows programme including the sustainable financing initiative Mini Meadows, and set out barriers and solutions to seascape scale restoration of seagrass in the UK.  As one of the leading seagrass restoration projects in Northern Europe we summarise a roadmap for the scaling required to support efforts to reach 2030 targets and beyond.