Beneath the world’s marine waters lies a hidden champion in the fight against climate change - underwater meadows that capture carbon dioxide up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. These remarkable ecosystems are seagrasses, and as the world marks World Seagrass Day on March 1st, scientists are increasingly recognizing their crucial role in our planet's future. This growing recognition reached a milestone in May 2022, when the UN General Assembly officially proclaimed March 1st as World Seagrass Day, marking a crucial step in global efforts to protect these vital marine habitats.
Why Seagrass Matters?
Seagrasses are marine flowering plants found in shallow waters across the world, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle. They form extensive underwater meadows, creating complex, highly productive, and biologically rich habitats. Despite covering only 0.1 percent of the ocean floor, these meadows provide food and shelter to thousands of species, including fish, seahorses, and turtles, and support some of the world’s largest fisheries.
Seagrass meadows play a crucial role in improving water quality by filtering, cycling, and storing nutrients and pollutants, thereby reducing contamination in seafood. As highly efficient carbon sinks, they can store up to 18 percent of the world’s oceanic carbon, making them a powerful nature-based solution for tackling climate change. Additionally, by buffering ocean acidification, seagrasses enhance the resilience of vulnerable ecosystems, such as coral reefs. For coastal populations, they act as the first line of defence against floods and storms by reducing wave energy.
India’s Commitment to Seagrass Conservation
India stands at the forefront of seagrass conservation, with major beds stretching across its coastlines. The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management has mapped 516.59 km² of seagrass ecosystems across the country, from the Gulf of Mannar to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These meadows are proving to be powerful allies in India's climate action strategy. Recent studies revealed that just 200 hectares of seagrass in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could offset 0.3 percent of India's annual carbon emissions - a remarkable feat for such a small area.
The Indian Government has also initiated a project across the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha on enhancing climate resilience of India’s coastal communities at a total cost of 130.269 million US dollars which includes a grant of 43.419 million US dollars by Global Climate Fund (GCF) covering 24 ecosystems in these selected States which aims to strengthen the climate resilience of coastal communities by protecting and restoring India’s natural ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses.
India's Seagrass Diversity at a Glance
India hosts 16 seagrass species, thriving at depths of up to 21 meters. Key species include:
- Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis in the Chilika Lagoon
- Cymodocea serrulata and Thalassia hemprichii in the Palk Bay
- Diverse species assemblages in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Building a Sustainable Future
The potential of seagrass meadows in combating climate change cannot be overstated. With an estimated CO2 sequestration rate of 434.9 tonnes per square kilometre annually, India's seagrass ecosystems alone create a net carbon sink of 0.75 million tonnes each year.
As coastal communities worldwide face increasing climate threats, seagrass conservation offers a nature-based solution that delivers multiple benefits: carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and coastal defence against rising seas.
This World Seagrass Day serves as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful solutions to global challenges lie hidden in plain sight, gently swaying beneath the waves. The time to protect and restore these vital ecosystems is now, ensuring their benefits for generations to come.
Facts about Seagrass
- Seagrass meadows exist in 159 countries across six continents, covering over 300,000 km², making them one of the most widespread coastal habitats on Earth.
- Almost 30 percent of global seagrass area has been lost since the late 19th century, and at least 22 of the world’s 72 seagrass species are in decline.
- Seagrasses store up to 18 percent of the world’s oceanic carbon, playing a crucial role in climate regulation.
- Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).