Could seagrass be one of the world’s best solutions to beating climate change?

A team of marine biologists at the University of Derby are pioneering groundbreaking research into seagrass restoration, one of the world’s most important yet rapidly declining marine habitats.

Often referred to as the ‘unsung hero of the ocean’, seagrass is one of the most widespread marine ecosystems on Earth, covering around 250-300,000 km2 of seabed across 159 countries.  

Acting as nature’s water filter, the ocean’s only flowering plant can store up to 18 per cent of the world’s oceanic carbon by trapping carbon-rich sediments and help to clean water by absorbing nutrients and pathogens.

In the UK alone, seagrass meadows are a crucial habitat, providing food and shelter for thousands of marine species, including fish, seahorses, octopuses, rays and sharks, while also sustaining vital fisheries.

Despite their key role, these biodiverse habitats are declining at an alarming rate – due primarily to human-induced stresses such as climate change, coastal development, and pollution.

The WWF's Living Planet Report recently revealed that global wildlife populations at large have shrunk by 73 per cent in the past 50 years. In the UK alone, seagrass meadows have shrunk by over 39% in recent years, and with this loss in habitat comes a decline in all the other associated species that call these meadows their home.

As March the 1st marks World Seagrass Day, academics at the University of Derby’s Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) are calling for more awareness around seagrass conservation and protection.

Professor Michael Sweet, a world-leading academic in marine biology and Head of the University of Derby’s Nature-Based Solutions Research Centre, said: “With the ability to absorb carbon dioxide faster than trees, seagrass is the most powerful nature-based solution to tackle climate change impacts.

“This is why I am betting on seagrass being one of our key allies in our fight against climate change.”

In response, the University of Derby is leading ground-breaking research into seagrass restoration. With financial support from partners, the team will shortly be able to increase research capacity by 50%.

One aspect of their work focuses on the microscopic world within these remarkable plants, an area which will be driven forward at greater pace thanks to this generous support. 

Professor Sweet explained:

“While focus and attention is often geared to habitat loss and physical restoration practices like planting, we know far less about the microbes that live on and within seagrass. That said, as with all organisms on our planet, we do know that these tiny powerhouses (such as bacteria and fungi) play a crucial role in keeping the plants healthy.”

University of Derby PhD student David Terrey is exploring how human activities, such as coastal developments and pollution from our UK rivers, affect these tiny microbial associates of seagrass.

He explained:

“Much like the bacteria in the human gut that helps us digest food and fight off illness, seagrass also relies on beneficial microbes to grow, absorb nutrients, and resist disease. However, environmental stress can disrupt this delicate microbial balance, leaving seagrass vulnerable to decline.

“By identifying the microbes essential for seagrass health, our research has the potential to improve survival rates in restoration projects across the UK and develop strategies to enhance resilience in degraded meadows.”

Building on this understanding of microbial health, researchers at Derby are also exploring ways to restore the natural balance of beneficial bacteria in seagrasses globally, pioneering an approach that has been described as ‘Yakult for seagrass’.

The research aims to create successful probiotics to assist restoration efforts in improving survival rates or increasing growth rates in out planted seagrass – aiding in the recovery and health of degraded meadows.

Kara Rising, another PhD student in the Aquatic Research Facility and lead of the probiotic project, explained how seagrass can be helped by these beneficial bacteria:

She said:

“We are exploring if probiotics can give seagrass a healthy boost in their recovery and resistance to various stressors.

“Our research focuses on creating a cocktail of bacteria that have been shown to add some benefit to their hosts. For example, a microbe that makes the plants more resilient, grow faster, live longer or survive higher temperatures or polluted seas.

“Probiotic research is still relatively new in the marine environment. Here at the University of Derby, we are aiming to create seagrass probiotics that may be able to work with both adult plants and seeds – the latter which can then be used in large scale restoration projects from the UK to Saudi Arabia, Australia to the United States, which will be a major step in seagrass restoration.”

Indeed, throughout this coming year, researchers are taking their work from the laboratory to the field in these very locations.   

Professor Sweet added:

“The research we are undertaking at Derby sets us apart from other restoration projects as we are looking into the future. The tools we are producing will be game changers in this field and we are extremely excited by the uptake from practitioners across the globe. I initially thought such tools would be in demand in five years or so, but we have had great interest now with people wanting to work with us and put the theory into practice.”

At the University of Derby, students have the opportunity to work on real-world research projects, helping our experts develop vital solutions to make our world a stronger, safer and more sustainable place. 

Find out more about the University of Derby’s marine research