Scotland’s most ambitious seagrass planting scheme starts today

The £2.4m million scheme will help restore nature in Scotland’s seas, through an initiative between the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) and SSEN Distribution.

Seagrasses have been declining globally since the 1930s, with estimates that 7% of seagrass meadows are being lost each year. The partnership aims to plant 14 hectares of seagrass over the next three years, supporting both nature and coastal communities.

Funding is provided by SSEN, with distribution for this unique fund managed by SMEEF. Grants have been awarded to four organisations spanning the length and breadth of Scotland, from Shetland to the Kintyre peninsula. They include:

• Mossy Earth’s Wilder Firths project
• Kintyre Coastal Network’s East Kintyre Biosphere
• Wester Ross Fisheries Trust’s seagrass planting project
• University of the Highlands and Islands – Restoring Shetland’s Marlie Meadows project

Seagrass is a wonder plant, the only true flowering plant in the sea. The meadows it creates in shallow and intertidal waters are home to an amazing array of wildlife, often likened to rainforests because of the thousands of species they provide food and shelter for. Scottish seas are a special place for marine habitats like seagrass, with the country’s coasts stretching 18,000 km and containing 8,000 species or more.

Seagrass has another great advantage: the leaves and roots take in carbon dioxide and lock it away, making them great natural solutions to the climate crisis. They can also improve water quality, reduce contamination in seafood, and act as the first line of defence along coasts by reducing wave energy, protecting people from the increasing risk of flooding and storms.

SMEEF is hosted by NatureScot, whose Chief Executive, Nick Halfhide, said:

“This is a wonderful example of business and the public sector joining forces to make a real difference to improve the health of our seas, helping to tackle the nature and climate emergencies. Nature and climate are closely linked; if one is suffering, the other will be as well. So we need to take care of our seas, and our seagrass, and restore nature at scale.”

Shirley Robertson, SSEN Distribution’s Head of Strategic Planning and Sustainability, said: 

“We are honoured to be involved in this ongoing partnership and welcome these four organisations, based in SSEN’s north of Scotland distribution area to the programme. Their support will further enable the vital restoration of these areas of seagrass, previously lost around some Scottish coasts.

“The positive contribution of seagrass to the environment cannot be underestimated, which is why at SSEN we made the commitment in our 2023-28 Business Plan to help fund the restoration of these underwater meadows.”