Seagrasses are plants that grow underwater where sufficient light is available for photosynthesis. Here, they form dense meadows that provide many ecosystem services. This habitat increases biological diversity, contributes to the protection of coasts from storms, and captures CO2. All these ecosystem services are provided free of charge to humans and are naturally performed by the seagrass. However, primarily due to human activities, the area of seagrass meadows has decreased over the last century. Changes in water conditions, such as an increase in temperature and nutrient concentration, or the direct destruction of seagrass meadows, for example, through the anchoring of ships and trawl fishing, contribute to this. Therefore, there is a strong interest in preserving seagrass meadows and expanding their range, thereby contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this context, the collaborative project SeaStore was conceived with the idea of developing the best methods for restoring seagrass meadows. In SeaStore, multiple institutions are working together, each dealing with different aspects of the interaction between seagrass and its environment: at the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute of the University of Hannover, Dr. Maike Paul's group focuses on the interactions between hydrodynamics and plant growth, while Prof. Endres' group at IKK is developing methods to support the seagrass in its development after planting. The group of Prof. Thorsten Reusch and Tadhg O'Corcora at GEOMAR in Kiel is studying the biodiversity in seagrass meadows, and at the University of Greifswald, Dr. Katharina Kesy and Dr. Mia Bengtsson are researching how the microbiome affects plant growth. At TU Braunschweig, Dr. Matteo Lattuada and Prof. Boris Schröder-Esselbach are analyzing the functional plant characteristics of seagrasses and modeling their relationship with habitat properties. Finally, economists from the IfW Institute in Kiel are calculating the cost-benefit ratio of restoring seagrass meadows under the leadership of Dr. Wilfried Rickels. Additionally, one of SeaStore's goals is to create an internet platform to encourage the participation of various interest groups in future decisions, ensuring the success of future projects for restoring seagrass meadows.
Project Leader: PhD Maike Paul (LuFI), Subproject: Prof. Dr. Boris Schröder-Esselbach
Team Members: Dr. Matteo Lattuada
Duration: 2020 - 2023
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Project Sponsor: PtJ