Seagrass

Beds of seagrass are a vitally important hub for biodiversity with extensive and varied benefits.

Seagrass beds support thousands of species, including numerous shellfish. They also provide nursery grounds for fish such as cod and plaice and sheltered feeding for other fish species. Intertidal seagrass beds also provide feeding grounds for birds such as brent geese and wigeon. As many as 30 times more animals live within seagrass compared to adjacent sandy habitats. 

Seagrass beds also reduce the power of wave action, protecting vulnerable coasts and encouraging the deposition of sediment and sequestration of carbon.

At SCAMP’s Innovation development work on seagrass has begun. Jenny Wright, project manager, explains:

“We are developing monitoring plans for seagrass beds within Loch Ryan and along the Solway Coast. Through this we hope to track how our seagrass meadows change throughout the seasons, as well as to understand their health and condition. We are also in the early stages of developing a pilot seagrass nursery to grow our own seagrass stock.”