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Tuesday, 22 September 2026
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Tuesday, 22 September 2026
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HOW PLANTING 70 MILLION EELGRASS SEEDS LED TO AN ECOSYSTEM'S RAPID RECOVERY
Friday, 16 October 2020
In the world's largest marine grass restoration project, scientists have observed an ecosystem from birth to full bloom.
As part of a more than 20-year plan, researchers and volunteers spread more than 70 million eelgrass seeds over an area of more than 200 hectares, beyond the vast expanses of salt marsh from the southern tip of Virginia's East Coast. Long-term monitoring of reclaimed marine grass beds reveals a remarkably harsh ecosystem that traps carbon and nitrogen, which the team reports contribute to global warming and pollution. Researchers say that success gives climate and ecosystems a glimmer of hope.
Led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and The Nature Conservancy, the project now covers 3,612 hectares of new seagrass beds. In comparison, the largest such project in Australia aims to reclaim 10 hectares of marine grass.
As part of a more than 20-year plan, researchers and volunteers spread more than 70 million eelgrass seeds over an area of more than 200 hectares, beyond the vast expanses of salt marsh from the southern tip of Virginia's East Coast. Long-term monitoring of reclaimed marine grass beds reveals a remarkably harsh ecosystem that traps carbon and nitrogen, which the team reports contribute to global warming and pollution. Researchers say that success gives climate and ecosystems a glimmer of hope.
Led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and The Nature Conservancy, the project now covers 3,612 hectares of new seagrass beds. In comparison, the largest such project in Australia aims to reclaim 10 hectares of marine grass.
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