Our mission: TO ENABLE THE SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS FOR SEAGRASS CONSERVATION, RECOVERY AND RESTORATION AND FOSTER AN INTEGRATED LONG-TERM APPROACH TO DEVELOPING RESTORATION SOLUTIONS.
The Seagrass Restoration Network (SRN) Australasia links scientists, industry practitioners, community and government policy makers for an up to date look at the development and implementation of conservation, recovery and restoration of seagrass meadows. Our webpage provides a list of restoration activities throughout Australia and New Zealand, case studies demonstrating successful seagrass restoration, and a discussion forum. The integrated approach to research includes: taxonomy, genetic connectivity, transplant and seed-based restoration solutions, hydrodynamic modeling, metapopulation dynamics, seeds and seedbank viability, long term monitoring, catchment monitoring, carbon storage, and integrated recovery with other marine ecosystems.
WE PROMOTE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE CONSERVATION, RECOVERY AND RESTORATION OF SEAGRASSES THROUGH:
Awareness of socio-ecologic values
Seagrasses are the ‘forests of the ocean’. Losing them forever should not be an option. It is difficult to put an exact $ value on these systems. Start adding it up – protection of coastal infrastructure through wave reduction and retention of sediment, habitat for important fisheries (crabs, lobsters, snapper), carbon sinks - it will be in the billions of dollars.
Marine conservation
It is much easier to conserve a forest than regrow one from scratch. Marine developments and activities need to consider their impacts on seagrass ecosystems and act to reduce the impact. Planning for any subsequent restoration activities needs to be part of an initial development plan.
Practical restoration methods
Engineering biological solutions towards restoring seagrass ecosystems can already be achieved for some species. However, restoration takes a sustained commitment to on-ground effort (time, and money).
Seagrass is awesome! A collection of videos from seagrass study sites around the world
South Fremantle Senior High Marine studies students plant seagrass in association with researcher John Statton from the Oceans Institute at The University of WA.
SEAGRASS RESTORATION SITES
Find our current restoration sites mapped below with details.
NETWORK MEMBERS
Jonathan Anderson
BMT Global
Simon Branigan
The Nature Conservancy
Martin Breed
Flinders University
Gilianne Brodie
University of the South Pacific
Marion Cambridge
University of Western Australia
Marnie Campbell
Murdoch University
Debbie Chamberlain
University of Queensland
Amanda Clarke
University of Newcastle
Catherine Collier
James Cook University
Carol Conacher
frc environmental
Rod Connolly
Griffith University
Craig Copeland
OzFish
Raeleen Draper
Sunshine Coast Council
Bernardo Duarte
MARE - University of Lisbon
Paul Erftemeijer
University of Western Australia
Raimundo Espinoza
Conservación ConCiencia
Judy Fisher
Leschenault Catchment Council
John Ford
Melbourne University
Juan D Gaitan Espitia
CSIRO - Oceans & Atmosphere
John Barry Gallagher
University of Malaysia Sabah
Chris Gillies
The Nature Conservancy
Tony Griffiths
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NT
Alastair Hirst
EPA Victoria
Steffan Howe
Parks Victoria
Eduardo Infantes
University of Gothenburg
Andrew Irving
Central Queensland University
Keren Eunice Itumay
Visayas State University
Emma Jackson
Central Queensland University
Benjamin Jones
University of Cardiff
Björn Källström
Gothenburg Marine Biology Laboratory
Gary Kendrick
University of Western Australia
Manoj Kumar
University of Technology Sydney
Manuja Lekammudiyanse
University of Melbourne
Hui Liu
Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute
Carolyn Lundquist
University of Auckland
Peter Macreadie
Deakin University
Fleur Matheson
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand
Andrew Matthews
OzFish
Paul Maxwell
Healthy Land & Water
Watkin McLennan
University of Melbourne
Catherine McMahon
Estuarine Care Foundation
Taryn McPherson
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Amrit Kumar Mishra
University of Plymouth
Pim de Monchy
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Andy Myers
OceanWatch
Emma Nolan
Ocean Conservation Trust, UK
Erik Paling
University of Western Australia
Greg Parry
Western Port Seagrass Partnership
Mark Parry
Ocean Conservation Trust, UK
Nikki Phair
Von Der Heyden Lab, South Africa
Alistair Poore
University of New South Wales
Michael Rasheed
James Cook University
Jeff Ross
University of Tasmania
Angela Rossen
Artist and biodiversity educator
Simon Rowe
OceanWatch Australia
Zac Saber
Melbourne Aquarium
Oocheetsing Sadasing
Mauritius Oceanography Institute
Megan Saunders
CSIRO
Nirmal Shah
Nature Seychelles
Michael Sievers
Griffith University
Craig Sherman
Deakin University
Elizabeth Sinclair
University of Western Australia
Richard Stafford-Bell
Victorian Government
John Statton
University of Western Australia
Jonathon Stevenson
Parks Victoria
Brooke Sullivan
University of Melbourne
Jason Tanner
SARDI
Benjamin Taylor
WiseOceans
Ha Thang
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University Viet Nam
Anitra Thorhaug
Yale University
Beth Toki
BMT WBM
Susantha Udagedara
Blue Resources
Richard Unsworth
Swansea University
Kor-jent van Dijk
University of Adelaide
Mike van Keulen
Murdoch University
Adriana Vergés
University of New South Wales
Michelle Waycott
University of Adelaide
Lewis Weil
Texas
Sam Whitehead
Derwent Estuary
Daniela Wilken-Jones
Kikka Environmental (Project STAR)
Paul York
James Cook University
Peidong Zhang
Ocean University of China
Stacy Zhang
Marine Ecology Community
Imen Zribi
Faculty of Sciences Tunis
Participants at the inaugural workshop in Geelong, July 2016.
Left to Right: Rod Connolly, Elizabeth Sinclair, Paul Maxwell, Adriana Vergés, Craig Sherman, John Statton, Fleur Matheson, Kor-jent van Dijk, Marnie Campbell, Michelle Waycott, Michael Rasheed, Andrew Irving, Simon Branigan, Gary Kendrick, Emma Jackson, Erik Paling.
[absent from photo: Brooke Sullivan, Chris Gillies, Jeff Ross, Peter MacCreadie, Steffan Howe]
Useful links
Operation Posidonia
We're losing a soccer field of seagrass every 30 minutes. The aim of Operation Posidonia is to bring seagrass back, along with the critters that live within its meadows.
https://www.operationposidonia.com/
Guidelines on Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian Ocean Region
The new Guidelines on Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian Ocean Region outline how to design a successful seagrass restoration project, using best practices, protocols, and case studies from the region and globe so that practitioners can focus on what is most likely to work for them.
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/guidelines-seagrass-ecosystem-restoration
Seeds for Snapper
OzFish has been leading the restoration of seagrass meadows in Cockburn Sound since 2018 – the project is now the largest of its kind in Australia. The program is now up and running in South Australia.
https://ozfish.org.au/projects/seeds-for-snapper/
Project Seagrass
Project Seagrass is committed to the conservation of seagrass ecosystems and ensuring that the benefits they provide communities are sustained now and for the future.
https://www.projectseagrass.org/
Maldives Silent Reefs
#ProtectMaldivesSeagrass
http://www.maldivesresilientreefs.com/campaigns/seagrass/
Seagrass Watch
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/home.html