26 September 2023

Underwater sandbags to protect seagrass

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The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) is working in partnership with SA Research and Development Institute on the country’s largest ever seagrass restoration project to help protect Adelaide’s seabed against erosion and support a healthy marine environment.

The DEW said the project was re-establishing around 10 hectares of seagrass off the Adelaide metropolitan coastline with sandbags dropped into the ocean at strategically selected sites between Glenelg and Semaphore.

It said the project deployed sandbags on the seabed and aimed to protect against erosion, support fish populations and improve biodiversity and water quality.

Director of Climate Change, Coast and Marine for DEW, Neil McFarlane said seagrass played an important role in the marine environment by stabilising sediment and reducing wave energy that reached the coast; improving water quality; and helping support biodiversity by providing a habitat and nursery for many species.

“Seagrasses can store up to twice as much carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr McFarlane said.

“South Australia is also investigating the potential blue carbon opportunities in seagrass restoration long-term,” he said.

Mr McFarlane said the seagrass restoration project used a technique developed in South Australia, which placed hessian sacks on the sea floor near seagrass meadows, for young seagrass to attach to and grow.

Minister for Environment and Water, David Speirs said it would take several years for the seagrass to fully establish and progress would be monitored.

Mr Speirs said 11 species of seagrasses were known to grow in South Australia covering an area of approximately 9,620 square kilometres.

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