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Identified seagrass beds can now be found on the Great Seagrass Survey ’ s interactive map
Seagrass survey breaks new ground
UK CONSERVATION CHARITY Seawilding has announced that volunteers mapped an area the size of Monaco during its inaugural Great Seagrass Survey last summer .
A total of 183 hectares of seagrass beds was located and mapped around the UK coastline by volunteer snorkellers and divers during the 2023 project , supporting further research into protecting this vulnerable species .
Seagrass is an important underwater habitat that produces oxygen , protects coastlines , absorbs carbon and provides a home to many ocean species . However , despite its importance , these underwater meadows are under threat from the many pressures affecting the ocean .
During the summer-long Great Seagrass Survey , 93 seagrass beds were located . Both of the seagrass species found in the UK - eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) and dwarf eelgrass ( Zostera noltei ) - were also recorded during the surveys .
Project organiser , Seawilding ’ s Katherine Knight , said the scientific data gathered would be ‘ game-changing ’. The data is now available to scientists and policymakers via a national database .
“ By knowing where seagrass is currently , we can learn more about the threats it is facing , as well as what is required to
conserve it ,” Katherine explained . “ Most of these beds had not previously been recorded , so this is real groundbreaking stuff that our volunteers are doing .”
The Great Seagrass Survey is a collaboration between Seawilding and BSAC and will return in 2024 . “ Our quest is far from over ; we know there is much more out there waiting to be discovered ,” Katherine added .
More information on the Great Seagrass Survey 2024 will be shared soon . In the meantime , the locations of the seagrass beds identified in 2023 can be viewed at https :// qgiscloud . com / eric _ seawilding / Great _ Seagrass _ Survey _ 2023 /
NDC Snorkel Lead Sophie Rennie announces the new Snorkel Guide course
HAPPY 2024 EVERYONE ! WHILE the weather carries on doing crazy things and preventing me from getting in the water , I thought I ’ d update you on what I ’ ve been up to on the snorkel front .
We are in the final stages of production of the new Snorkel Guide course . It ’ s taken a little longer than originally planned due to various hiccups along the way , but hopefully it will be on the shelves by the end of February 2024 .
The Snorkel Guide qualification will enable you to plan and execute snorkel safaris anywhere you choose , thanks to the training provided within the course . The course covers full first aid too – so if you don ’ t have any first aid knowledge don ’ t worry , and if you have then this area will only be assessed as part of the course conclusion . Elements of the course include planning , risk assessments , snorkel dive management , snorkel skills , rescue and rescue management , first aid , chartwork and hopefully lots of fun at the same time .
The course is structured in sections , so that it can be taught over a number of evenings or days to suit . Future plans will be to put all the theory online as e-learning , so that less time is spent with the course instructor and there is more flexibility to suit each student . This course is ideally suited to the Seawilders and conservation snorkellers who will be guiding groups , as well as those in branches where there is snorkel activity . Something to look at for 2024 !