Why Seagrass Is Crucial for Our Climate

Beneath the water’s surface grow vast meadows of seagrass. They store carbon, protect coastlines, and serve as nurseries for fish. Yet they are disappearing rapidly around the world, often without us realizing the scale of this loss.

What exactly is seagrass?

Seagrass belongs to the group of flowering plants (angiosperms). They have flowers and pollination mechanisms that are well adapted to pollination underwater. Seagrass grows in the sediment on the seafloor, with upright, elongated leaves and a root-like structure (a rhizome) anchored in the ground.

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Seagrass looks like grass, but it isn’t. It is a marine plant that evolved independently and today forms one of the most important coastal ecosystems. There are around 60 different seagrass species worldwide.

Where does seagrass grow?

Seagrass grows on six out of seven continents. The only continent without seagrass is Antarctica. Current collections of research data show that seagrass covers at least 0.1–0.2% of the global ocean surface. The number varies because many seagrass areas have not yet been mapped. This also makes it difficult to say how much has already been lost and how much seagrass actually exists today.

In scientific studies, there are estimates that up to two‑thirds of seagrass meadows in inhabited coastal egions worldwide may have been lost. This is an estimate, not a precisely verifiable figure.

Did you know?

In many research fields, it is difficult to provide exact numbers. Reasons include missing or incomplete data, different measurement methods, and the fact that Earth is a dynamic system that constantly changes.

Why is this ecosystem so important?

Seagrass meadows provide a wide range of essential ecosystem services for our coastal regions. For some larger animals, such as dugongs, sea turtles, geese, and certain fish species, seagrass serves as food. Even more important is that seagrass leaves are often covered with algae and small invertebrates. These serve as food for many species, both for residents of the seagrass meadows and for animals that migrate in from neighboring habitats.

Did you know?

An ecosystem service is a benefit that nature provides to humans, often free of charge, yet of enormous value.

The dense seagrass beds also provide protective structures. Fish use them as nurseries, shrimp settle there after their larval stage and remain until adulthood. Animals from coral reefs and mangroves also migrate into seagrass meadows to feed, showing that these habitats form an important link between land and marine ecosystems.

Additionally, seagrass meadows stabilize coastlines by trapping and binding sediments. Their rhizomes and roots prevent erosion during storms and floods. Dead seagrass also plays a major role. It is exported to deeper areas, supports food webs there, and acts as a carbon sink because it decomposes very slowly.

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Although seagrass meadows cover a relatively small area, they are responsible for roughly 10–15% of all carbon stored in the ocean.

Seagrass meadows are considered blue‑carbon ecosystems because they can store exceptionally large amounts of carbon. Per unit area, they absorb carbon dioxide much faster than forests on land and therefore have particularly high potential to mitigate climate change. However, if this habitat becomes damaged or destroyed, the stored carbon can be released again, contributing to climate change.

What threatens seagrass?

Seagrass meadows are threatened by physical destruction, poor water quality, biological disturbances, and climate change. Many of these factors interact and lead to global declines. Human activity directly and indirectly influences the condition of these meadows.

The future of seagrass

Around the world, there are really cool projects focused on protecting, monitoring, and restoring seagrass meadows. But as valuable as these initiatives are, they are not enough on their own to offset the full impact of human activities. The global trend continues downward. Seagrass areas are shrinking, biodiversity is declining, waters are becoming murkier, and beyond a certain point the entire ecosystem can collapse.

Because seagrass meadows were underestimated for decades, it is crucial to highlight their importance and strengthen the protection of these habitats. Despite the declines, there is hope. In several regions, restoration projects show that seagrass can return when water quality and habitat conditions are right. Some countries are increasingly investing in research, monitoring, and conservation measures. At the same time, scientific interest in blue‑carbon ecosystems is growing, which increases political attention and funding.

In the end, the future of seagrass meadows depends on how consistently we protect coastlines, reduce emissions, and limit harmful inputs into the ocean. Seagrass can recover, but only if we give it the chance.

A final thought

It is important to note that scientists describe the current state of an ecosystem in order to compare it with past data. Based on this, they develop projections for the future. They often provide recommendations and possible solutions, but implementation ultimately lies in the hands of politics and society. Through our consumption choices and collective behavior, we can influence political decisions and represent our interests publicly.

Quellen:

Kennedy, H. & Björk, M. (2009). Seagrass Meadows. In: Laffoley & Grimsditch (Eds.), The Management of Natural Coastal Carbon Sinks. IUCN.

Innoceana. (n.d.). Preserving Seagrass Meadows. https://innoceana.org/preserving-seagrass-meadows/

Marine Conservation Society Australia. (n.d.). Blue Carbon. https://www.marineconservation.org.au/blue-carbon/

Seagrass‑Watch. (n.d.). What is seagrass? https://www.seagrasswatch.org/seagrass/

All websites were last accessed on 09 April 2026.

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