Seagrass Ocean Rescue – Restoring Seagrass in Dale
Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation have worked with Sky Ocean Rescue, WWF and Swansea University to restore seagrass meadows in Wales. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation Officer’s roles are 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 new project, planning to restore seagrass in a two hectare area (approximately two rugby pitches) in collaboration with local people in Dale.
As much as 92% of the UK’s seagrass has been lost, restoring it is vital for ocean health. Seagrass has huge benefits. It can protect coasts, improve water filtration and plays the following important roles:
- Fisheries Support – 20% of the world’s biggest fisheries are supported by seagrass meadows as fish nurseries.
- Biodiversity Support – 50 species of fish live in or visit UK seagrass, supporting 30 times more animals than nearby habitat.
- Fight Climate Change – Seagrasses store carbon 30 times faster than forests. Restoring them traps carbon dioxide.
Read the full press release about the project here
Latest News – December 2024
Dale Seagrass Update
Latest News – September 2022
Dale Seagrass Update
Over the third week of September, the team at Project Seagrass and Swansea University, along with some volunteers, were able to undertake repeat surveys of seagrass to those surveyed in September 2020 and 2021. Following concern about the trawling incident in February, the subsequent storm, and ad hoc snorkel information suggesting little seagrass, hopes were low about the state of the seagrass area. We have however found evidence that seagrass does remain in the restoration site, but unfortunately, this is at a very low density, approximately 10% of what was recorded in 2021, and slightly less than in the summer of 2020. The seagrass that was found tended to be around the edges of the area rather than in the central region, indicating that the decline was likely influenced by the trawler, however the storm is highly likely to have interacted by redistributing shoots potentially ripped up by the trawler. We hope to return to the site this winter and under our existing licence add to the planting in order to re-enforce populations.
We also took a brief look at the site of the small experimental plots from 2018 in the sheltered area inside of the mooring zone. There is still some seagrass in this area, although whether this is left over from the experimental plots (we did strive to remove all of this in 2020), or as a result of the small naturally occurring patch nearby or even seed/plant dispersal from the restoration site, is difficult to say. What we can say however is the fact that it is within the boating and fishing keep pot (storage) area is great as it provides evidence of how those interactions are not harming the seagrass and exist in relative harmony. We hope that if left undisturbed, the remaining seagrass in the main restoration site may yet form a healthy seagrass meadow in time.
On a very positive note, the visitor moorings that help to mark the restoration site have proved very popular this summer. We will be able to share more detail on this after the end of the season when we analyse the user data and the monies collected through the online donation system at www.daleseagrass.org
Latest News – June 2022
Dale Seagrass Update to local newsletter Peninsular Papers:
In the middle of Dale Bay is the UK’s first full-scale planted area of seagrass. The 2-hectare rectangular area is marked by buoys. There are small triangular signage buoys and three large yellow visitor buoys.
The visitor buoys are provided as a facility to boat users to help prevent damage to the seagrass from anchoring. We’d be really grateful if users paid a voluntary donation (suggested £10 minimum for a night’s stay) through the online payment system at www.daleseagrass.org. This will help maintain the buoys in the future and look after the seagrass and local environment and community.
To help the seagrass meadow to flourish, please don’t anchor in it, and be careful when motoring through it if the water depth is below a meter.
Seagrass is a native species that needs the right seabed, shallow water, and shelter to thrive. Seagrass has an astonishing capacity for absorbing carbon, far greater than tropical rainforests – it’s an excellent tool in the fight against climate change. It also improves water quality by filtering pollutants and sediments.
Seagrass meadows provide a fantastic nursery for many forms of marine life, helping improve fish stocks and encouraging biodiversity.
You can read more at www.daleseagrass.org and on the beach notice boards in Dale.
For any further information or observations regarding the planted seagrass please contact Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group Chair Fil Marshall fil@pointfarmdale.co.uk or Dr Richard Unsworth r.k.f.unsworth@swansea.ac.uk (phone 07795 311166).
September 2021
Back in 2020, Sky Ocean Rescue, WWF and Swansea University marked the major milestone in the biggest seagrass restoration project ever undertaken in the UK – planting around 1 million seagrass seeds in Dale Bay. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation Officer played a small role in this, to ensure that local users and the community were 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 new project, restoring seagrass in a two-hectare area.
Earlier this month Swansea University conducted a survey of the seagrass restoration area in Dale. This provided the first real indication of the likely long-term success of the project. Following the assessment in September 2020, where seedling growth was not as great as hoped, they are very happy to report that the seagrass observed this September is clearly on a path to successfully cover the planned area. It is not yet at the density originally hoped for at this stage, but the planting of further seeds in November 2020 (without any storage) has been a success.
The survey team reported that clumps of seagrass shoots can now be seen in all areas of the 2-hectare plot. Density overall remains very low, but clumps are now averaging 4 to 5 shoots, are healthy, and are very well rooted to help weather the winter storms. There are particular areas to the southern edge where density is very high, but there are also patches to the west (shallower section) where density is very low. Largely the hand planting has been more successful than the boat deployments. There are areas where large amounts of floating kelp have settled, but overall, this is not a problem and might lead to the area being altogether more mixed than just seagrass.
If anyone has any observations regarding the planted seagrass, or queries please contact Richard directly on r.k.f.unsworth@swansea.ac.uk or phone 07795 311166.
Find out more
A Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group has been formed. The purpose of this Stakeholder Group is to shape the Seagrass Ocean Rescue Project and share the latest information and updates on the project’s progress. Group meetings will provide a forum for facilitated comment and discussion where questions can be raised and answers provided, and to help to inform and clarify the next stages of the project.The Group is an advisory group, not a decision-making body but it is able to influence certain elements of the project–see aims of group below.Members of the Group will liaise with project partners and Swansea University as lead body and ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding between Swansea University and the Group is upheld and that processes are transparent and understood in the wider community. Please see the group’s Terms of Reference.
Please see information from meetings held below:
- 15th December 2021 – Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group Notes and Presentation
- 3rd March 2021 – Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group Notes
- 23rd November 2020 – Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group Notes and Update Presentation
- 14th July 2020 – Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group Notes and Presentation showing seagrass update and visitor mooring location slides
You can contact Dale Seagrass Stakeholder Group via their Chair: Fil Marshall
Project lead Dr Richard Unsworth in Swansea University can be reached via r.k.f.unsworth@swansea.ac.uk
Seagrass Stakeholder Group current secretary Sue Burton: sue.burton@mhpa.co.uk
For more information about PCF contact – jetske.germing@pembrokeshirecoastalforum.org.uk
