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Exciting plans are underway to restore seagrass meadows within the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These important underwater habitats support high levels of marine biodiversity, provide a vital carbon store, protect coastlines and offer serene spaces for recreation and wellbeing.
Seagrass in the Fal
Within the SAC, there are around 100 hectares – or approximately 1.1km2 – of Zostera marina, also known as common eelgrass. While much of this remains intact, some areas are degraded and require active restoration to reach their full potential.
This restoration effort is part of a multiyear collaboration between Cornwall Council Ocean Conservation Trust’s Blue Meadows project, the University of Exeter, Falmouth Harbour and Falmouth Marine Conservation Group. Each partner brings its own expertise to the collaboration, from ecological monitoring and habitat restoration techniques to community engagement and local marine stewardship.
Restoring
Restoration work is scheduled to begin within the next year, once we have completed public consultation to build the project with our communities and obtain funding for the Project. The restoration work will use a combination of Ocean Conservation Trust’s innovative HMS OCToPUS seagrass seeding device and cultivated adult seagrass plants grown in hessian pillows. This two-pronged approach is great for restoring seagrass habitats at scale, with this project setting an ambitious goal to restore 10 hectares of seagrass over the next three years. The restoration sites have been carefully selected and are already supported by Blue Meadows Sensitive Habitat Marker Buoys, maintainedby Falmouth Harbour, which designateVoluntary No Anchor Zones to reduce threats to these sensitive seabed habitats.
Monitoring
In preparation, the coming months will see partners undertaking detailed site monitoring, seed collection and community outreach. The project also provides a valuable opportunity for scientific research, with the University of Exeter facilitating data collection and analysis to assess the restoration success and ecological impacts. This research will offer important insights into carbon sequestration, species abundance, and the expansion of seagrass meadows, contributing to broader seagrass knowledge and future restoration efforts.
Community engagement will play a central role throughout. By connecting people with their local marine environment, the initiative aims to foster long-term stewardship of seagrass meadows. Community seagrass monitoring programmes and citizen science initiatives will develop as part of the project, ensuring that Falmouth’s community remain at it’s heart. Public awareness campaigns will also continue to highlight the importance of these habitats and promote sustainable behaviours throughout the wider SAC.
News
Stay in the Loop
If you would like to find out more about the Project, and receive updates and newsletters about the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and our wonderful estuary, please do sign up to the Fal & Helford SAC Estuary Officer newsletter and updates!
Marine License Public Consultation for Restoration Work
The Project is applying for an MMO License to gain permissions to be able to restore the seagrass beds in Falmouth. The licence application and related documents can found via the MMO website under Falmouth Seagrass Restoration – National Marine Aquarium - MLA/2025/00240.
Deadline for responses to this application is the 15th August 2025For more details on MMO consultations, visit the MMO public register of marine licence applications, and enter the relevant application number.
Public Webinar
This August the Project Steering Group are hosting a public webinar, open to all interested, to present more information on the Project with a Q&A session.
Exciting plans are underway to restore seagrass meadows within the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These important underwater habitats support high levels of marine biodiversity, provide a vital carbon store, protect coastlines and offer serene spaces for recreation and wellbeing.
Seagrass in the Fal
Within the SAC, there are around 100 hectares – or approximately 1.1km2 – of Zostera marina, also known as common eelgrass. While much of this remains intact, some areas are degraded and require active restoration to reach their full potential.
This restoration effort is part of a multiyear collaboration between Cornwall Council Ocean Conservation Trust’s Blue Meadows project, the University of Exeter, Falmouth Harbour and Falmouth Marine Conservation Group. Each partner brings its own expertise to the collaboration, from ecological monitoring and habitat restoration techniques to community engagement and local marine stewardship.
Restoring
Restoration work is scheduled to begin within the next year, once we have completed public consultation to build the project with our communities and obtain funding for the Project. The restoration work will use a combination of Ocean Conservation Trust’s innovative HMS OCToPUS seagrass seeding device and cultivated adult seagrass plants grown in hessian pillows. This two-pronged approach is great for restoring seagrass habitats at scale, with this project setting an ambitious goal to restore 10 hectares of seagrass over the next three years. The restoration sites have been carefully selected and are already supported by Blue Meadows Sensitive Habitat Marker Buoys, maintainedby Falmouth Harbour, which designateVoluntary No Anchor Zones to reduce threats to these sensitive seabed habitats.
Monitoring
In preparation, the coming months will see partners undertaking detailed site monitoring, seed collection and community outreach. The project also provides a valuable opportunity for scientific research, with the University of Exeter facilitating data collection and analysis to assess the restoration success and ecological impacts. This research will offer important insights into carbon sequestration, species abundance, and the expansion of seagrass meadows, contributing to broader seagrass knowledge and future restoration efforts.
Community engagement will play a central role throughout. By connecting people with their local marine environment, the initiative aims to foster long-term stewardship of seagrass meadows. Community seagrass monitoring programmes and citizen science initiatives will develop as part of the project, ensuring that Falmouth’s community remain at it’s heart. Public awareness campaigns will also continue to highlight the importance of these habitats and promote sustainable behaviours throughout the wider SAC.
News
Stay in the Loop
If you would like to find out more about the Project, and receive updates and newsletters about the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and our wonderful estuary, please do sign up to the Fal & Helford SAC Estuary Officer newsletter and updates!
Marine License Public Consultation for Restoration Work
The Project is applying for an MMO License to gain permissions to be able to restore the seagrass beds in Falmouth. The licence application and related documents can found via the MMO website under Falmouth Seagrass Restoration – National Marine Aquarium - MLA/2025/00240.
Deadline for responses to this application is the 15th August 2025For more details on MMO consultations, visit the MMO public register of marine licence applications, and enter the relevant application number.
Public Webinar
This August the Project Steering Group are hosting a public webinar, open to all interested, to present more information on the Project with a Q&A session.
© Mark Parry
