Marine heat waves pose significant threat to seagrass restoration efforts

A marine heat wave has undermined the success of seagrass restoration efforts at a site in north Wales, new research has found. More than 1.1 million seagrass seeds were planted at sites in two bays in north Wales between 2023 and 2024 as part of Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North Wales, the U.K.'s largest active seagrass restoration program. Despite being located less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) apart, the planting efforts in Bae Caergybi saw seedling establishment and overwinter survival, while planting at Bae Tremadog failed.