Seagrass restoration project aims to help carbon-storing plant thrive

Researchers to experiment with innovative ways to transplant seagrass

- Shabana Begum

Seagrass meadows, the often-overlooked, carbon-storing sibling to mangroves, are set for a revival along Singapore's coasts.

On Sept 27, the National Parks Board (NParks) and OCBC Bank said they will embark on Singapore's first seagrass restoration project, with a focus on understanding the plants' reproduction and finding ways to improve the success of transplanting seagrass at locations in decline.

OCBC has pledged close to $1 million to fund this three-year research effort, which will be helmed by NParks, the St John's Island National Marine Laboratory and the National University of Singapore.

The reproductive characteristics of tropical seagrass have been largely under-researched in South-east Asia, NParks said in a statement.

Singapore's waters are home to 12 species of seagrass, the oceans' only flowering plant.

Seagrass meadows are found in shallow waters off the coasts. In the north, they are found near mangroves, while in the south, they are near coral reefs, predominantly around the Southern Islands.

The largest continuous stretches of seagrass meadows are found at Chek Jawa and Cyrene Reef, a submerged reef off Pasir Panjang Terminal.