Power in numbers (PART 1): The trials and tribulations of seagrass restoration in Australia.

In this episode of OzCast, Professor Kendrick unveils the crucial role that seagrass plays in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, shedding light on its remarkable ability to support marine life and store blue carbon, even more effectively than tropical rainforests. With over 40 years of professional experience in the restoration of these marine ecosystems, Professor Kendrick dives beneath the surface on all the trials and tribulations of bringing these lost meadows back to their former glory – from small-scale projects, all the way to industry-leading community-led projects like Seeds For Snapper.  

Professor Gary Kendrick is a leading marine ecologist in the areas of marine benthic biodiversity, resource mapping, seagrass and seaweed ecology and seagrass restoration. He has worked with government and industry to determine needs and develop solutions for climate change threats as well as environmental and conservation issues in Australia's exclusive economic zone.   

He has successfully led numerous interdisciplinary teams to address gaps in our knowledge by mapping benthic resources in the shallow continental shelf around Australia and in studying the environmental impacts on seagrasses and seaweeds of commercial fishing, oil and gas infrastructure, dredging, coastal development, coastal eutrophication and desalination outfalls.   

Throughout the podcast, Gary discusses the idea of awareness: of not just when seagrass was recognised as being lost in Australia, but the awareness of how important it is to both animals and humans. He provides anecdotes on the types of ways we used seagrass, which ultimately led to its decline over the last 240 years. According to Gary, we are losing one football field of seagrass every 30 minutes, globally.  

Drawing from his extensive travels, he compares Australia's efforts on the international stage, giving us a comprehensive overview