Seagrass Meadows are a very important marine coastal ecosystem in Langstone Harbour. It provides a protected nursery habitat for juvenile marine species, as well as a habitat for rare and endangered species such as seahorses, cuttlefish and European eels.
Did You Know?
Seagrass is the only marine flowering plant.
Unfortunately, we have lost up to 92% of our seagrass meadows in the UK in the past century. Disease, pollution, dredging and anchor damage have taken their toll on these meadows. The good news is that initiatives are underway to restore our wonderful underwater gardens and the habitat they provide for marine life.
Since 2021, seagrass replanting has been trialled in Langstone Harbour through a collaborative project led by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Seagrass seeds are collected and stored carefully over the Winter, ready to be replanted in the Spring. In 2025, over 58,000 seagrass seeds were planted in the Solent.
This project is part of a larger initiative to restore the Solent’s seagrass meadows, vital for biodiversity, coastal protection and carbon capture.
Did You Know?
Restoring seagrass meadows provides improved ecosystem services such as increased biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, cleaner water and nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Read about the Solent Seagrass restoration project – click here
- Discover more about Project Seagrass – click here
- Hear the Soundwaves seagrass poem – click here