Hundreds of volunteers are replanting seagrass meadows off Cairns
August 28, 2023 7:43 PM Subscribe
Life-saving seagrass meadows sprouting in tropical first, a decade after Cyclone Yasi destroyed them. Hundreds of volunteers are replanting seagrass meadows off Cairns and Mourilyan Harbour. Now, it's hoped the dugongs, turtles and other marine animals that once lived there will return.
Very cool story.
The article omits exactly how the seagrass is being planted: in water shallow enough for volunteers to wade in or in water deep enough to require SCUBA diving. Any ideas on this?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:14 AM on August 29, 2023
The article omits exactly how the seagrass is being planted: in water shallow enough for volunteers to wade in or in water deep enough to require SCUBA diving. Any ideas on this?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:14 AM on August 29, 2023
The video shows them tying sea grass sprouts to iron nuts. Then those are scattered overboard.
posted by being_quiet at 7:03 AM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by being_quiet at 7:03 AM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
I did some more searching and found another article with different photos:
https://ozfish.org.au/projects/mourilyan-harbour-seagrass-restoration/
They show the seagrass being affixed to frames (the "growing sheets"). I think these are then placed on the sea bottom in the areas they want restored. The article states the frames are biodegradable and made from potato starch. So over time, they'll dissolve, hopefully after the seagrass has put down roots.
Or possibly there are multiple approaches being used since it's easy to imagine they're not 100% sure of the best way to reestablish the seagrass.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:33 AM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
https://ozfish.org.au/projects/mourilyan-harbour-seagrass-restoration/
They show the seagrass being affixed to frames (the "growing sheets"). I think these are then placed on the sea bottom in the areas they want restored. The article states the frames are biodegradable and made from potato starch. So over time, they'll dissolve, hopefully after the seagrass has put down roots.
Or possibly there are multiple approaches being used since it's easy to imagine they're not 100% sure of the best way to reestablish the seagrass.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:33 AM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Today I learned a dugong is a real creature and not just a pokemon.
posted by catcafe at 8:56 AM on August 29, 2023
posted by catcafe at 8:56 AM on August 29, 2023
Similar story in South Asia [BBC 2020] where sea-grass meadows were preventing a small 27 hectare island from being washed to oblivion. They used 1m x 1m plastic squares covered with a loose network of jute strings as anchors to support the transplanted grasses until their roots 'took'. At best speed with perfect weather, a pair of scuba-planters were able implant 80 plastic quadrats a day. It will take decades to restore the meadows using this technology; so IMHO, it doesn't scale up. Would love to be wrong.
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:01 AM on August 30, 2023
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:01 AM on August 30, 2023
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I loved the photos of the turtle and the dugong.
I so appreciate good news about the environment, especially the seas, these days more than ever. Thank you so much for posting this, chariot pulled by cassowaries!
posted by kristi at 10:31 PM on August 28, 2023 [1 favorite]