Saving Seagrass: The Unsung Hero of Coastal Ecosystems
Seagrass meadows protect coasts, store carbon, and shelter marine life. Learn why they matter, why they’re disappearing, and how divers can help restore them.
PRESERVING OUR GREAT LAKES AND OCEANS
Saving Seagrass: The Unsung Hero of Coastal Ecosystems
Why Seagrass Matters More Than You Think
Seagrass meadows cover only about 0.2 percent of the seafloor, yet they provide a home for thousands of species, from tiny shrimp to juvenile fish and sea turtles. These underwater plants act like nurseries for commercially important fish, helping sustain local economies and food supplies.
Seagrass also helps fight climate change. A single hectare of seagrass can store as much carbon as a forest of the same size, locking “blue carbon” into the seabed for centuries. On top of that, healthy seagrass beds stabilize sediments, improve water clarity, and buffer shorelines from erosion.
The Trouble Facing Seagrass
Despite its importance, seagrass is disappearing at an alarming rate — scientists estimate that we’ve lost about 7 percent of seagrass meadows each year since the 1990s. Coastal development, pollution, boating activity, and climate change are the main culprits. When seagrass dies off, ecosystems unravel, fisheries decline, and coastlines become more vulnerable to storms.
How Divers Can Help Protect and Restore Seagrass
Learn to Spot It: Divers often swim over seagrass without realizing it. Identifying healthy seagrass beds versus degraded ones can help you report changes to local conservation groups.
Avoid Anchoring on Seagrass: Boat anchors and chains scrape seagrass roots and rip up entire patches. Always anchor in sand when diving from a boat.
Join Seagrass Restoration Projects: Many coastal NGOs and research programs train divers to collect seeds, plant shoots, or monitor regrowth.
Reduce Runoff and Pollution: Supporting clean-water initiatives on land matters. Nutrients from fertilizers and sewage can smother seagrass meadows.
Support Blue Carbon Initiatives: Some conservation groups sell verified “blue carbon credits,” funding the protection and restoration of seagrass beds worldwide.
Seagrass might not get the same attention as coral reefs, but without it, the oceans — and our coastlines — would be a very different place. Divers can be the eyes, hands, and voices that ensure seagrass continues to thrive for generations.
Happy and safe diving,
The ScubaBlast Team
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2023). What is seagrass? Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seagrass.html
United Nations Environment Programme. (2020). Out of the blue: The value of seagrasses to the environment and to people. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/report/out-blue-value-seagrasses
Waycott, M., Duarte, C. M., Carruthers, T. J. B., Orth, R. J., Dennison, W. C., Olyarnik, S., … Williams, S. L. (2009). Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(30), 12377–12381.
Smithsonian Ocean Portal. (2024). Why seagrass is critical for marine life. Retrieved from https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/seagrass