There are many pressures acting upon the seabed which can have a detrimental impact on the health and extent of seagrass. These pressures can come from a range of activities including dredging, anchoring and moorings, bait digging and hand gathering. There are also a number of potential contaminants and environmental conditions that can affect the health of seagrass plants, together with the threat of disease.
This focus area will work collaboratively with stakeholders to increase our understanding of the pressures on seagrass beds within Chichester Harbour and determine sustainable solutions to help reduce these pressures, especially in priority areas, to enable seagrass to regenerate naturally.
We will also work with partners to explore options for more active restoration initiatives in suitable locations within Chichester Harbour.
Learning from the trials of the Solent Seagrass Restoration Project and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, we hope to develop projects that will successfully extend the area of seagrass beds within the Harbour waters.
