Rewilding the Ocean Floor One Seagrass Meadow
<p>Seagrass beds that occur along coastal India are threatened by crude bottom trawling that destroys the substrate upon which the grasses grow. Seagrasses trap fine sediment and ensure crystal waters in which dugongs and sea turtles are able to feed. They also act as nurseries for countless fish and marine invertebrates. Restoring degraded seagrass beds is being undertaken in the Gulf of Mannar, by the manual transplantation of seagrass sprigs – no mean feat when you’re doing it underwater, buffeted by waves! The seagrass restoration project, is being carried out by researchers from the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI), and initial indications are that the transplantation sites are recovering satisfactorily, with an increase in density of macrofauna and fish.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee.</strong></span></p>
