The grass is greener here
OCBC Partners NParks for Singapore’s First Seagrass Restoration Project
In collaboration with National Parks Board (NParks), the OCBC Seagrass Restoration Project explores how seagrass can enhance carbon sequestration capabilities and maintain balance within the surrounding marine ecosystem.
Seagrass meadows are globally recognised as an important blue carbon habitat. They have the potential to store carbon up to 40 times more effectively than terrestrial trees.
Singapore’s first seagrass restoration project
Seagrass meadows are an important blue carbon habitat with the potential to store carbon 40 times more effectively than terrestrial forests. They are crucial to the environment and provide protection to marine habitats and coastal areas.
Importance Of Seagrass Restoration
Seagrass meadows is critical to the environment and marine life. They contribute greatly to carbon sequestration, habitat creation, survival of marine species, and coastal protection. Known as carbon sinks, seagrass acts like enormous sponges by absorbing a lot of carbon.
More than 45% of seagrass meadows in Singapore have disappeared over the last five decades. Given the key role that seagrass plays in mitigating climate change, it is important to better understand and restore these plants to ensure that they continue to thrive in Singapore.
Carbon Sink
Seagrasses are known as the "lungs of the sea" and are globally-recognised as an important blue carbon habitat because they have the potential to store carbon 40 times more effectively than terrestrial land forests.
Important Nursery for Marine Life
Seagrass provides shelter and habitat for thousands of marine species, including small invertebrates, fish, and juveniles of larger fish species.
It allows biodiversity to flourish and is home to rare and endangered species.
Coastal Protection
The strong anchoring roots of seagrass trap and stabilise sediments, which not only improves water quality and clarity, but also reduces erosion and buffers coastlines against storms.
Seagrass also contributes to keeping seawater clean by soaking up nutrients and bacteria.
Restoration & Research
The OCBC Seagrass Restoration Project will study the carbon sequestration capability of seagrass, its reproductive characteristics, and develop innovative methods to improves the success of seagrass transplants.
Findings from the project will contribute greatly to Singapore’s seagrass conservation and restoration efforts. It will allow the authorities to better conserve the seagrass meadows, which are crucial to the environment and provide protection to marine habitats and coastal areas.
Improving Current Method Of Planting Seagrass
The new transplanting method will go a long way in improving the survival chances of the transplanted seagrass. The feasibility of these new methods will be evaluated based on seagrass growth and its survivability. These results and learnings will be vital to developing established procedures for future restoration efforts locally.
