World Seagrass Day

Seagrasses are flowering plants that have adapted to live in marine and estuarine environments in coastal waters around the world. Their evolutionary story involves multiple species returning to the sea over many millions of years, most with the same common ancestor which now makes up 70 living species. Although none are directly related to typical terrestrial grasses, many species look and grow very similarly. All seagrasses are fully adapted to submerged aquatic life . Seagrass leaves are often long and flexible, which reduces drag in the water and helps them to avoid being ripped from the substrate by wind, waves, and tidal currents. Belowground structures like roots and rhizomes keep the plants anchored to the sediment and are important in nutrient uptake. Together, the above and belowground tissues help to cycle nutrients and gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide between the sediment and the water column. The plants themselves can form large meadows and are often the dominan...

  Seagrass meadows exist in 159 countries on six continents, covering over 300,000 km2, making them one of the most widespread coastal habitats on Earth. Almost 30% of global seagrass area has been lost since the late nineteenth century and at least 22 of the world’s 72 seagrass species are in decline. Seagrasses, as a part of the marine ecosystem , store up to 18% of the world’s oceanic carbon . Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can also help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rising temperatures increase the risk of irreversible loss of marine and coastal ecosystems . Today, widespread changes have been observed, including damage to coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses that support ocean life, and migration of species to higher latitudes and altitudes where the water could be cooler. Explore the reasons why we need to safeguard the ocean as our best ally for climate solution .