2024, North West Wildlife Trust, Marine Internships, Seagrass Restoration Feasibility Study

Seagrass can provide vital ecosystem services including habitat provisioning for commercially important fish species, carbon sequestration and protection from coastal inundation and erosion. However, seagrass meadows across the UK and globally have experienced major declines in recent decades. Poor water quality has been identified as a significant driver. Thus, it is important to assess water quality to inform seagrass restoration efforts. This study was requested by the North West Wildlife Trusts to investigate the feasibility of conducting water quality assessments to inform its seagrass restoration project near Roa Island in Cumbria. This investigation evaluated a shore-based and watercraft-based method for water sampling and analysed water quality parameters, including nutrient concentrations, to indicate pollution potential sources in the proposed restoration area in comparison to existing seagrass beds. The findings include recommendations for future water quality assessments and provide insights relevant to seagrass restoration more broadly. The following report was produced as part of the Marine Futures Internship; a collaborative project between Natural England, Ørsted, The Crown Estate and the North West Wildlife Trusts, which is funded by The Crown Estate and managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.