Projects

Seagrass meadows are the ‘lungs of the sea’ – one hectare of seagrass can absorb the same amount of carbon as 15 hectares of tropical rainforest – we call this ‘blue carbon’.

But that’s not all – seagrass meadows provide nursery grounds for fish species, improve water quality, and provide coastal protection.

In the UK we’ve lost up to 95% of our seagrass meadows due to pollution and disturbance of habitat.

Despite these statistics, investing in seagrass currently won’t buy you a carbon credit, meaning this vital resource is underfunded and under-researched.

Rebel Restoration will also be supporting Scotland’s first community-led seagrass restoration project at Loch Craignish in Argyll, in partnership with, Seawilding UK, Project Seagrass and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS):

Work will include enhancing existing degraded seagrass meadows and planting additional fields in Loch Craignish, hopefully extending the reach of the project to other sites in Argyll and Bute.  This will enhance the capture and storage of ‘blue carbon’ and create a centre for marine biodiversity.

Our lead partner, Seawilding, is a pioneering, community-led charity ensuring the local community is active, engaged, and 100% behind the project.

Several PhD and postdoctoral researchers will be working on the project.  New research will provide more efficient methods and turn Loch Craignish into a restoration training ground for agencies and academics across the UK.