Скачать или смотреть The Underwater Meadows That Could Help Save the Planet

Seagrass might be one of the most important ecosystems on Earth yet most people have never even heard of it. In this talk, Richard Lilley, co‑founder of the marine conservation charity Project Seagrass, shares his journey from school science teacher to diving instructor to full‑time conservationist, and reveals why seagrass meadows are essential for fisheries, biodiversity, coastal protection, water quality, and long‑term carbon storage. He explains why the UK has lost so much of its seagrass, how restoration projects are bringing back these underwater forests, and how citizen science tools like Seagrass Spotter are helping build global maps of this threatened habitat. This is an inspiring story about awareness, action, and the race to save one of the planet’s most overlooked ecosystems.

Dr Richard Lilley has over a decade of experience of research into marine systems. He is passionate about education, particularly marine science communication and outdoor learning. His work focuses on the sustainable supply chain management of small-scale capture fisheries, particularly those linked to seagrass ecosystems.

Richard is particularly interested in the role of seagrass meadows in providing local food security and is currently working with an international team on a Seagrass Ecosystem Services Project across the Indo-Pacific Region with this focus (Thailand, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and the Philippines). His work in the UK and Europe is primarily focussed on identifying seagrass ecosystem restoration opportunities and developing local capacity to support this.

Discover more:
www.projectseagrass.org
www.seagrassspotter.org
www.resow.uk

For more inspiration and guidance to pursue a career in plant science visit https://www.plantsciencefutures.org.uk/

Filmed at the Gatsby Plant Science Summer School, 2023
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