Photo: Benjamin Jones | Unsplash
Despite covering just 0.2 percent of the sea floor, seagrasses account for an estimated 10 percent of all the carbon stored by the world’s oceans. They are also able to capture carbon from the atmosphere up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests such as the Amazon. Seagrasses’ ability to store carbon so successfully has led the U.N. to term them a “secret weapon in the fight against global heating.” Globally, however, seagrasses have declined almost 30 percent since the late 1800s. Given it's status as a secret weapon, scientists are anxious to restore seagrass where possible. Efforts are underway in Nova Scotia, Washington state, and Virginia to restore seagrass meadows. Initial efforts in Nova Scotia are successful so far and Viriginia’s project has been underway for two decades with really good results. Washington state’s efforts are too recent to know if they are successful. Scientists like including community members in the restoration projects, as a way of building hope and community care for the natural environment.
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