The largest seagrass-restoration project ever undertaken in the UK has been launched in the shape of the £1.8 million Mor Nature programme in Cornwall.
The intricate work is said to require months of cultivation, specialist logistics, vessel operations and underwater installation by trained scuba divers, all while navigating changing tides, weather conditions and challenging underwater visibility.
As well as plans to restore 10 hectares of seagrass meadow in Falmouth Bay, the project includes the restoration of native oyster populations across the Fal and Helford Special Areas of Conservation through a combination of active habitat restoration, monitoring and community stewardship.
Mor Nature, Cornwall’s first seascape-scale marine-restoration initiative, will combine the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT)’s expertise in large-scale seagrass restoration with Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT)’s leadership in native oyster recovery. Mor is the Cornish word for sea.
Mor Nature is expected to contribute towards government targets set in 2024 to boost seagrass levels by 15% by 2043.
The three-year project is backed by £1.4 million from DEFRA’s Species Recovery Programme alongside additional funding partners, and supports the government’s Wild Again: Restoring England’s Wildlife campaign.
Led by the OCT and CWT, the programme also involves Falmouth Harbour, Cornwall Council, the Zoological Society of London, the University of Exeter, the Duchy of Cornwall, Falmouth Marine Conservation Group and other local organisations.
The restoration site stretches between Swanpool and Pendennis Castle in Falmouth Bay. OCT first established protective measures here in 2022 through the installation of sensitive habitat marker buoys and voluntary no-anchor zones.
The project also builds on CWT’s extensive work in the area to map and monitor existing seagrass meadows and will expand its network of intertidal seagrass restoration sites. CWT will also work with fishers and community groups to establish new oyster nurseries in the Helford.
Seagrass seedlings
Over the past winter, OCT’s team cultivated more than 21,000 seagrass seedlings at its National Seagrass Nursery. These plants will be transplanted to the restoration site, alongside thousands of additional seeds deployed using innovative restoration technology developed by the charity.
“Mor Nature represents a major milestone for marine restoration in the UK,” says OCT conservation project manager Andy Cameron.
“We’re not simply planting seagrass; Mor Nature represents the holistic cultivation of an entire underwater garden, nurturing the relationships between interdependent species and habitats that will allow a plethora of marine life to thrive.
“We’re helping to rebuild an interconnected marine ecosystem that supports wildlife, strengthens coastal resilience and delivers benefits for local communities. This project demonstrates what is possible when conservation organisations, local communities, government and industry work together to restore nature at scale.”
By working collaboratively to restore seagrass and native oyster habitats, partners aim to create conditions that support a wide range of marine species, including seahorses, spider crabs, cuttlefish, bass and sharks.
“Native oysters were once a defining feature of Cornwall’s seas, creating thriving underwater habitats that supported wildlife, fisheries and coastal communities,” says CWT head of marine conservation Dr Dan Barrios-O’Neill. “Through Mor Nature, we have an opportunity to restore not only oyster populations, but the ecological functions they provide.
“Cornwall Wildlife Trust is leading the native oyster restoration and intertidal seagrass restoration elements of the project building on our community-first approach, working with local fishers our Your Shore community group network and citizen scientists to restore our seas.”
The project will also contribute to wider environmental goals around biodiversity recovery, climate resilience and improved coastal water quality, according to OCT. Mor Nature will engage local communities through citizen-science projects, snorkel safaris and educational events designed to reconnect people with their local marine environment.
The programme will also be a testing ground for the future of large-scale marine restoration, as OCT works with partners through Project AMPERES to trial automated and robotic restoration technologies such as the Meadow Maker, and the Automatic Seagrass Planter.
The effectiveness of each machine will be trialled on a small patch of the 10-hectare meadow, though the vast majority will be planted by OCT’s specialist divers.
Also on Divernet: Citizen Science, Divers and the Fight to Restore Plymouth Sound
