Seagrass is one of Scotland's natural superheroes, but it needs our help

I have always been fascinated by all things marine, from the smallest fish to the giant blue whale – the sheer range of species our blue planet supports is truly mind-blowing. I can clearly remember standing on the shore in St Andrews at the age of eight wondering “what is going on under the surface?”

As a child holidaying around our coastline, more often than not I could be found puddling around in rock pools, identifying and fascinated by what I found in these small bodies of water. If there was this much life in these, I had to learn more about what else lived beneath the waves.

It will, therefore, be no surprise to learn I went on to study marine biology and have for many years been working in marine conservation. During my ‘salty’ career, one particular species has stood out as a bit of a superstar – the humble seagrass.

A habitat for marine life

Most of us can identify seaweed, but we’re probably less familiar with seagrass – the world’s only flowering plant capable of living in seawater and an incredible ally in the fight against climate change.

It can form abundant meadows in shallow or sheltered waters. Picture a grass meadow swaying in the wind – but this one is underwater.

So, what makes these unassuming blades of grass such superheroes? For a start, they create a habitat that supports a wealth of other marine life, providing shelter for animals such as pipefish, sea slugs and crabs.

Seagrass meadows might not sound as exciting as coral reefs or tropical rainforests, but they play a really important role in supporting life underwater – whether as food for other species or as places for others to live on.

A lovely feature is that the meadows act as a nursery area for many fish species including plaice and flounder. Worldwide they support 20 per cent of the world’s biggest fisheries. Their roots provide stabilisation of the seabed which can become home to small crustaceans and invertebrates.

Manatees, aka sea cows, graze on seagrass

Another superstar quality is that they can help protect our coast from damaging storms and erosion by dampening the force of waves. With the occurrence of more and more vicious storms, the role seagrass plays will become ever more important. They also remove pollutants from our waters.

One fact I really love is that, in tropical areas seagrass meadows support grazers like manatees – also known as sea cows – green sea turtles and many aquatic birds. And as if all that wasn’t enough, globally, seagrass captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.

Sadly, as with so many things, human behaviour and practices have had an impact on Scotland’s once-rich seagrass meadows. Much of them have been wiped out due to coastal developments, fishing, dredging and poor water quality caused by sewage and nutrient run-off. This is despite seagrass beds here being considered a ‘priority marine feature’ and being included in 26 marine protected areas.

But as our understanding of the incredible power of seagrass grows, so does the work on how to bring back these once-thriving havens of nature. WWF and many others are grasping the huge opportunity that exists to return seagrass meadows and lock in all the many benefits they provide as a super-power in tackling the nature and climate crises.

Making a difference

A project I have loved being involved in is Restoration Forth. A range of organisations and members of the local communities are trialling different methods of planting seagrass seeds along the Firth of Forth coast. It’s been incredible to witness how many volunteers come out in some truly awful weather conditions to help put back what we have lost.

Each time we put out a call for helpers, we’re inundated with offers and it has been humbling to meet them and learn more about what motivates them. Many simply want to give nature a helping hand in their local area, while building friendships and getting outdoors. Some have highlighted the health and wellbeing benefits following periods of illness.

My own motivation is the feeling of taking positive action to make a genuine difference in the face of such global uncertainty. It can often feel that the nature and climate crises are so overwhelming it’s difficult to know as an individual how to make an impact, but restoring seagrass really does provide a feeling of hope.

And we are seeing small shoots of success, with juvenile flatfish being spotted in the seagrass restored near Burntisland. Proof that if we give nature a helping hand, it can recover.

Back from the brink

But we can’t pin all our hopes on bringing back seagrass meadows, we must also protect those small pockets that have survived. Clean and healthy rivers, estuaries and seas mean healthy seagrass meadows.

Pollution and coastal development can all impact seagrass so we have to take care with what we do and the things we use on land as so much of it ends up in our waters.

I hope in years to come I can take my son for walks on beaches across Scotland and find thriving seagrass meadows. I would like to think I played a small role in helping one of nature’s superheroes come back from the brink.

Dr Lyndsey Dodds is ocean recovery policy manager at WWF Scotland