Solent Seagrass Restoration Project

Who

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Boskalis Westminster Ltd

Where

S032 2DP

What

The Solent Seagrass Restoration Project,  led by the Trust’s Senior Marine Biologist Dr Tim Ferrero, aims to identify the best methodology for restoring this hugely important marine species within the Solent, whilst also monitoring the habitat as a provider of carbon sequestration.

Why

Seagrass is an amazing native marine plant that provides an impressive number of environmental services – creating a vital habitat for wildlife, supporting fisheries, protecting our shores from erosion, and storing carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Sadly, this natural wonder has suffered significant declines over the past century.

How

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has considerable experience of seagrass surveying and monitoring methods and of seagrass ecology but does not yet have direct experience of seagrass restoration. Through this project and making use of its existing knowledge and expertise, it plans to develop the skills and experience it needs to establish the Trust as the local lead for seagrass restoration and more widely throughout the Wildlife Trust movement. This project will enable HIWWT to develop both the knowledge and practical skills to undertake seagrass restoration at scale within the Solent region, further support the wider Wildlife Trust movement and help Boskalis lead their industry in developing nature-based solutions to protect and enhance coastal ecosystems globally.

When

Ongoing

More information

New project to restore seagrass and tackle climate change launches | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (hiwwt.org.uk)

Main photo: Tim Ferrero