The Isle of Wight Biosphere will be hosting a Seagrass Symposium for the Island and Solent region this Spring.
Join Project Seagrass, WWF UK, Hampshire & Isle of Wildlife Trust and the REMEDIES project, as well as local partner organisations, at Cowes Yacht Haven this April for an evening of talks and discussion around 1 of the most important marine habitats on the Island and mainland.
This evening event – to be held on Tuesday 18th April from 19:00-20:30 – will include talks by some of the organisations leading seagrass meadows research and conservation work, with updates on what’s been achieved so far and opportunities to contribute to ongoing work. There will also be open discussion around seagrass meadow restoration on the Isle of Wight and in the Solent, and a chance to meet and share ideas.
Seagrass is an underwater flowering plant, growing in shallow waters around our coast and providing us and wildlife with numerous benefits. The meadows provide habitat for many marine species including nursery grounds for commercial fish species; they store carbon in the ocean floor, help to stabilise our coastlines from erosion through storms, and clean our water. However, this extraordinary ecosystem is threatened by range of human impacts.
The Isle of Wight and the Solent are lucky enough to have many healthy seagrass meadows already, but there’s much more work to be done to restore, and to conserve them. Seagrass meadow restoration on the Isle of Wight and Solent is being undertaken collaboratively by many different organisations, working with local people to guide the work.
Issy Inman, Volunteer and Community Co-ordinator at Project Seagrass said,
“We would like to welcome as broad a community as possible to join us both at the Solent Seagrass Symposium and in the active work towards seagrass research and restoration. Marine and boating industry, harbour users, landowners, schools or communities – all of us can play a part in this global work.”
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As well as the Solent Seagrass Symposium at Cowes Yacht Haven, an informal seagrass pop-up and drop-in session will take place at The Department at Cross Street, Ryde on Wednesday 19th April from 19:00-20:30.
Just what we need to regenerate our towns. – Not!!
If we are going to be whining about things totally unconnected to the article, can I add that is isn’t what we need to fix the potholes in our roads, either.