Seagrasses are very unique in that they represent the only flowering plants that can live entirely in the sea. Seagrasses are considered critical habitats that provide a long list of ecosystem services and benefits to humans. They are important nursery and foraging habitats for fish and shellfish; they cycle nutrients and oxygenate the water; they prevent coastal erosion and capture carbon.
They have even been shown to remove harmful pathogens, pollutants and microplastics from the waters that flow through them, keeping our coastal ecosystems healthy. They are also very important for dugong and turtle feeding grounds.
Next to our Ocean Club facility in the South Marina, we have located a pontoon for the setup of a seagrass nursery. This seagrass restoration project is being delivered through the Whitsunday Reef Islands Initiative, a Great Barrier Reef Foundation program, supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.
The project is focused on collecting, cultivating and germinating seagrass seeds to enhance the seagrass meadows in Pioneer Bay, the bay adjacent to the marina’s rock wall.
Coral Sea Marina is proud to support this project by providing a location in the marina for the nursery site, as well as delivering opportunities for community engagement and education via the Coral Sea Academy.
How Can You Help?
- Find out when the next seagrass information session is in the Whitsundays at coralseaacademy.com
- Get involved in seagrass flower collecting and seed dispersal events
- Learn how to avoid damaging seagrass
- Get in touch about opportunities for group and school educational activities!