Seeds of a Blue Meadow: Restoring Seagrass in the Solent

Guest blogger: Isha Yadav. Biology student, co-president of Oxford Climate Society, & climate/social action volunteer. I believe in climate dialogue & action that is diverse, accessible, and connects communities. Change requires us to work together, teach each other, and be prepared to learn.

An unseen ecosystem

If you’ve ever visited the Solent – do you picture the softly rippling strait, the passage of large and rusted metal vessels of maritime trade? Or, do you think of the swathes of flashing green – of the shy and often-overlooked ecosystem that lies beneath? There is more to this vast body of grey-blue. 

This is one of the few places on our isles where seagrass still makes a home: like most of our natural landscape, it’s now present in fragments of its historical range. Populations shrank significantly in the 1930’s due to a wasting disease, and recovery has been stunted. From this already vulnerable position, bottom trawling, a changing climate, polluted waterways, and competition from invasive species are putting seagrass, and the habitats it creates, at risk. Natural seedbanks are now damaged, so seed collection & replanting projects are crucial to the recovery of this ecosystem. We must turn our eyes and minds towards marine ecosystems – they are not immune to our influence, and it is crucial we acknowledge their carbon storage capacities.

The diverse carbon sink

Unassuming though they may be, and covering just 0.1% of the seafloor, these underwater meadows make a vital contribution to blue carbon storage. They fix carbon 35x faster than tropical forests: capturing it through photosynthesis, and trapping carbon-containing detritus in sediment on the seafloor. Our seagrass is comprised of 4 different species – and these are the only plants known to both flower and pollinate whilst completely submerged in seawater. Where terrestrial plants are often pollinated by wind, and animals such as beetles and bees, seagrasses are pollinated by water currents, and crustaceans. 

Seagrass meadows host an abundance of wildlife & biodiversity: if you’re lucky, you may spot one of our two native sea horse species, or a cuttlefish. Cuttlefish lay their eggs - shining black bunches colloquially known as ‘sea grapes’ - along the grass blades. Thanks to specialised air-bubble filled cells, aerenchyma, the leaves do not pile flat along the bottom: they float and allow water currents to swirl through the leafy mass. Rhizomes, finger-like parts of the stem and root, grasp the sand, anchoring the grass into the meadow, and stabilising the shoreline by holding sediment in place. Among thousands of other fishes, young cod and sea bass populations grow in these meadows for around 7 years before joining the migratory adult population, supporting the fishing industry.

Seed collection

In the shallows, you can find the seed collectors, knee-deep in the stirring water. The staff and volunteers of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts are working with Meaningful Planet, at the forefront of restoration efforts. They scan the seabed, looking for spathes – structures within the leaf that protect the seeds. Watching as they pluck the firm seed-bearing spathes from the masses of lithe, twisting green ribbons, you can understand why project lead Tim Ferrero declared the volunteers as the ‘most treasured resource’: donning their shorts, sun-caps and smiles, each seed they collect is a seed of change & reconnection, a step closer to the rewilding of the coastline. 

They walk their full buckets back over the cobbles of the shoreline, and convene to sort through their ‘catch’, a salty breeze in the air. This is reminiscent of childhood days spent sitting on these rocks - leaning over these very same buckets after a day of rock-pooling, the very same spirit of wonder, and sounds of fond and excited chatter in the air. Throughout our lives, our natural world has raised us, capturing our fascination, and providing for us. For many, protecting our marine ecosystems is how we give our thanks, and how we progress, in a better direction.

Statistics obtained from the Wildlife Trusts.

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