The Scottish marine and coastal restoration funding initiative Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) is to receive more than £2m of additional funding to protect and restore Scottish seagrass meadows. The donation comes from a new partnership between SMEEF and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution and is believed to be the largest-ever single […]
Local marine partnership receives funding to deliver innovative conservation projects in Studland Bay, Dorset. The Studland Bay Marine Partnership has been awarded £186,000 from the Marine Management Organisation’s Fisheries and Seafood Scheme to support the conservation of Studland Bay’s precious marine ecosystems. Studland Bay is home to Dorset’s most extensive seagrass meadow and provides a […]
Following the installation of an Advanced Mooring System in Cawsand Bay four years ago, in a joint project by the Ocean Conservation Trust and Marine Conservation Society there has been a 212% increase in seagrass cover. Traditional anchoring and mooring systems cause damage to delicate seagrass habitats, as the chain drags along the seabed disturbing […]
Following the ReMeMaRe (Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef) 2023 conference which took place in Scarborough last week, Dr Rob Bradburne, the Environment Agency Chief Scientist, sets out his views and vision for marine restoration. Taking a holistic approach to coastal habitat restoration Fresh approaches Restoring saltmarshes, seagrass meadows and native oyster beds is of importance […]
Roger Proudfoot of the Environment Agency answers questions on the organisation’s priorities for restoration and the links to government policy. He is the convener of ReMeMaRe 2023, the UK’s leading coastal and estuarine restoration conference, which is taking place on 11 & 12 July in Scarborough. Can you introduce yourself and your role Roger Proudfoot, […]
A report published by Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Natural England has revealed that St Austell Bay supports one of the largest known seagrass beds in the UK. The findings come from the St Austell Bay Blue Carbon Mapping Project, part of the ambitious G7 Legacy Project for Nature Recovery announced by the Prime Minister at the G7 […]
Five million seagrass seeds will be planted off Wales’ coast to create climate change-fighting underwater meadows. On Wednesday, 50,000 were laid at Penychain off the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd. A news story on the BBC website said that Seagrass Ocean Rescue wants 10 hectares (25 acres) of seagrass meadow by 2026. WWF Cymru’s Rory Francis said Wales had […]
The first seeds are due to be planted in waters off the Scottish capital as part of a major restoration project that aims to improve biodiversity in the Firth of Forth. Conservationists and volunteers have collected more than 40,000 seagrass seeds from around Orkney and prepared them for planting, with sowing work due to start […]