TNP seagrass restoration project expands international links as work begins on second species

The Gibraltar Seagrass Restoration Project has begun work to restore a second species of seagrass to the Rock’s waters as it develops international research links with scientists in Barcelona and the University of Malta. 

The project, run by The Nautilus Project and powered by Peninsula, has started germinating Zostera marina seeds sent from the UK. 

The species was found around Gibraltar’s coastline until around 2008. The project is now working to restore both seagrass species that were locally endemic. 

The project said its work had attracted international interest, with its third intern arriving from Malaysia this week. 

The latest work com

es as marine biologist Lewis Stagnetto, from The Nautilus Project, represented Gibraltar at a conference in Barcelona focused on the restoration of Posidonia oceanica, a Mediterranean seagrass species under threat. 

The conference, hosted by SUNBIO at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya campus, brought together experts from around the world to discuss techniques, strategies and methodologies for restoring the species. 

Mr Stagnetto highlighted environmental work being carried out in Gibraltar through the seagrass restoration project, which generated interest among scientists attending the conference and opened the door to potential future collaborations. 

The project has also signed an agreement with the University of Malta to share knowledge and research on seagrass restoration. 

The collaboration has created an opportunity for a PhD position involving research in Gibraltar and Malta, with the work expected to lead to scientific publications focused on seagrass restoration.