A groundbreaking project, Seagrass Blue, granted by EMSO ERIC within the Physical Access Program, aims to revolutionise seagrass restoration efforts for carbon removal and biodiversity enhancement to better face the ocean global challenges.
The project, hosted at the EMSO Spanish OBSEA Regional Facility and led by Seagrass Blue company, aims to assess the performance of cultivated seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) offshore waters by utilising modular floating farm pods. The floating pods of 3m x 3m, are moored at 20-meter depth in the Western Mediterranean Sea, 4 km off the coast of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain, in dynamic ocean conditions, a site which serves as an ideal natural laboratory for this pioneering project.
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species that plays a crucial role in Mediterranean ecosystems. It forms extensive meadows that provide habitat for various marine organisms, stabilize sediments, and contribute to water clarity. Due to human activities like coastal development, pollution, and climate change, Posidonia meadows are facing significant threats, making seagrass restoration activities a crucial support to effectively take action and face these challenges.
The seagrass restorationmethod proposed by Seagrass Blue represents a significant departure from traditional seagrass restoration techniques, offering a more scalable and technologically advanced approach. By using autonomous underwater robots, the restoration process can minimise human disturbance and allow for the restoration of larger areas. These robots also can monitor the health and growth of seagrass and their efficiency in carbon removal, providing valuable data for optimising the restoration process and offering a new, sustainable avenue for industrial and corporate participants to offset carbon emissions.
“This innovative approach holds great promise for the scientific community. Its applications span a wide range of restoration and aquaculture research initiatives, aimed at overcoming the limitations and costs of current restoration techniques. The integration of autonomous underwater robots for thorough monitoring introduces a trailblazing method of environmental stewardship”, explained Chris Lewis, Chief Operating Officer of Seagrass Blue.
“Through quantifying seagrass yield and carbon sequestration capabilities from samples of sediment pods, this project will provide invaluable data for climate change mitigation research, offering a tangible solution to global carbon challenges” said Craig Syms, Chief Scientific Officer at Seagrass Blue.
The project’s success could lead to the development of scalable solutions for marine ecosystem restoration, with potential applications in biodiversity enhancement, fisheries management, and coastal protection. The modular nature of the farm pods makes this approach adaptable to various scales, and suitable for both local initiatives and larger, industrial applications.
“The next step will be to use a 10-hectare area for floating pods and ten marine bees next year, further expanding our understanding of large-scale seagrass cultivation and its potential impact on carbon sequestration”, Craig Syms, concluded.
Photo 1: Autonomous underwater robot while monitoring seagrass growth. Credits: Seagrass Blue
Photo 2: Modular floating farm pods costruction. Credits: Seagrass Blue