Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation have worked with Sky Ocean Rescue, Project Seagrass WWF and Swansea University to restore seagrass meadows in Wales.
Our role at PCF, together with the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation Officer’s roles were to ensure that local users and the community are properly involved, so that those who enjoy or work in the sea around Dale had the opportunity to share their views and help decide on the location for this exciting project, restoring seagrass in a two hectare area (approximately two rugby pitches) in collaboration with local people in Dale.
As part of the project, three moorings have been installed in Dale Bay on the outer edge of the seagrass area, for use by visiting boats, instead of putting an anchor out.
A pioneering toolkit for restoring vital seagrass beds in the UK and Ireland has been created by conservation scientists; providing a practical guide for anyone wanting to help re-establish the natural ‘blue-carbon’ habitats around the coast. As part of the UN Decade of Restoration, this new, Seagrass handbook is a vital tool for local councils and groups here in UK to start restoring this vital habitat and ‘blue carbon’ store.
seagrass signage buoys for the
Dale Seagrass Ocean Rescue
project. Photo: Sue Burton.
Seagrass Restoration Handbook – what’s included
- An introduction to seagrass beds, threats to existing habitats, their ecological importance, and the concept of restoring resilient habitats. (Chapter 1);
- Information about starting a restoration project including choosing a site, project planning and the licensing process (Chapter 2);
- Guidance on the different seagrass restoration approaches and methods (Chapter 3);
- Guidance on how to effectively monitor change following restoration (Chapter 4); and
- An outline of how to successfully communicate a seagrass restoration project during its planning and implementation (Chapter 5).
You can find the Handbook here.
More information and further resources can be found on the Catchment Based Approach website.