Seagrass meadows
Seagrass
Known to enhance biodiversity by providing food, shelter, and nursery habitat for several marine species, thus supporting local fisheries and other human activities.
Seagrass meadows are shallow marine habitats dominated by rooted, flowering plants that are present on soft marine sediment in areas with low to moderate wave energy.
They are capable of living and completing their life cycle under saline and submerged conditions. Southwestern Europe is home to the most diverse seagrass populations in Atlantic mainland Europe, with species such as Zostera marina, Cymodocea nodosa, several Ruppia species, and Zostera noltei, all occurring in the sublittoral zone.
These vital marine ecosystems
provide essential services
Refuge for biodiversity
Many economically significant fish and shellfish species find their home on seagrass meadows.
Coastline Protectors
By reducing the impact of waves with their canopies.
Water and Sediment Quality
Filtering excess nutrients and other pollutants from runoff.
Blue Carbon Reservoir
Along with mangroves and salt marshes, seagrass meadows store over half of the sequestered carbon by the ocean.
In Portugal, they are an essential part of coastal ecosystems.
They form key habitats along the southern coast of the country, particularly in the Algarve, mainly within the expansive Ria Formosa coastal lagoon and the estuaries of the Arade and Guadiana rivers. In the Setúbal area, they thrive in the Sado estuary and along the Arrábida coastline.
Despite their importance, seagrass meadows have faced severe threats
Beyond environmental changes, human activities - such as sediment removal from dredging, boat anchoring, moorings, propeller damage, and the spread of invasive macroalgae - have significantly contributed to the loss of these vital habitats in Portugal over the past few decades.
To better understand and address these declines,
several projects have been launched
Highlighted project
Large-scale conservation and restoration of critically endangered seagrass habitats in the Atlantic infralittoral sands and coastal lagoons
Aim to conserve and restore priority seagrass habitats by implementing solutions to address the loss of priority marine vegetation habitats.
Past projects
Discover how we have helped to protect seagrass meadows.
RESTORESEAS
Nature-based tools to protect and restore biodiversity.
Ongoing
Seagrass, Seaweeds and Corals
2022 to 2025
Add location
BIOMARES
Restoration and Management of Biodiversity in the Marine Park Site Arrábida-Espichel.
Ongoing
Seagrass, Seaweeds and Corals
2007 - Now
Setúbal
Seagrass
Known to enhance biodiversity by providing food, shelter, and nursery habitat for several marine species, thus supporting local fisheries and other human activities.
Seagrass meadows are shallow marine habitats dominated by rooted, flowering plants that are present on soft marine sediment in areas with low to moderate wave energy.
They are capable of living and completing their life cycle under saline and submerged conditions. Southwestern Europe is home to the most diverse seagrass populations in Atlantic mainland Europe, with species such as Zostera marina, Cymodocea nodosa, several Ruppia species, and Zostera noltei, all occurring in the sublittoral zone.
These vital marine ecosystems
provide essential services
Refuge for biodiversity
Many economically significant fish and shellfish species find their home on seagrass meadows.
Coastline Protectors
By reducing the impact of waves with their canopies.
Water and Sediment Quality
Filtering excess nutrients and other pollutants from runoff.
Blue Carbon Reservoir
Along with mangroves and salt marshes, seagrass meadows store over half of the sequestered carbon by the ocean.
In Portugal, they are an essential part of coastal ecosystems.
They form key habitats along the southern coast of the country, particularly in the Algarve, mainly within the expansive Ria Formosa coastal lagoon and the estuaries of the Arade and Guadiana rivers. In the Setúbal area, they thrive in the Sado estuary and along the Arrábida coastline.
Despite their importance, seagrass meadows have faced severe threats
Beyond environmental changes, human activities - such as sediment removal from dredging, boat anchoring, moorings, propeller damage, and the spread of invasive macroalgae - have significantly contributed to the loss of these vital habitats in Portugal over the past few decades.
To better understand and address these declines,
several projects have been launched
Highlighted project
Large-scale conservation and restoration of critically endangered seagrass habitats in the Atlantic infralittoral sands and coastal lagoons
Aim to conserve and restore priority seagrass habitats by implementing solutions to address the loss of priority marine vegetation habitats.
Past projects
Discover how we have helped to protect seagrass meadows.
RESTORESEAS
Nature-based tools to protect and restore biodiversity.
Ongoing
Seagrass, Seaweeds and Corals
2022 to 2025
Add location
BIOMARES
Restoration and Management of Biodiversity in the Marine Park Site Arrábida-Espichel.
Ongoing
Seagrass, Seaweeds and Corals
2007 - Now
Setúbal