Pettycur Seagrass Seeding Event

The whole month of March is Seagrass Awareness Month, which sets out to recognise the importance of this humble marine plant. Seagrasses are components of a healthy and biodiverse seascape, which provide a range of services that benefit humankind and the wider marine ecosystem. They are responsible for storing large quantities of carbon within the marine environment, despite only covering 0.1% of the seabed. Moreover, the structural complexity of seagrass meadows support a rich diversity of marine fauna, including commercially important fish species. Worryingly, the UK has witnessed a 44% decline in its seagrass extent since 1936, and with predicted losses as high as 90% over longer timeframes. It is wildly accepted that global efforts are required to restore disturbed, degraded and destroyed natural habitats to mitigate climate change.

Restoration Forth (a multi-partnership project, which aims to restore seagrass and oysters in the Forth) along with other actors in the marine conservation field, are seeking to recover UK seagrass meadows through active restoration. This March is the commencement of restoration efforts here in the Forth, on the 24th of March Restoration Forth will conduct a seagrass restoration trial on Pettycur Bay. On this day local community volunteers can contribute to the restoration of seagrass through dispense injecting seeds into the seabed along Pettycur Bay. Attendees can seek to gain practical skills in active restoration, as well as enhancing their understanding of these valuable coastal habitats.

The plan:

This activity will take place at low tide along Pettycur Bay's intertidal zone - so don't worry about having to enter the water in your scuba suit - and will include outdoor work for up to 3 hours. So, please come dressed appropriately for Scotland's variable weather at this time of year, wellies and waterproof clothing will be part of your essential kit. Participants will meet members of the Restoration Forth team adjacent to the Burntisland Leisure Centre's carpark on Pettycur Bay, which is demarked on the map. The meeting time is scheduled for 08:15am, which we recognise is relatively early on a Friday morning, but you won't want to miss out on this exciting opportunity. A short safety briefing will take place before you meet the team at the trail site for specifics on the seeding protocol. 

Please be aware that this event will take place outdoors and for several hours, so please come dressed appropriately for the conditions. There will be no cover when on the beach, no available seating and no toilets, however toilet facilities are accessible through the Burntisland Leisure Centre. We invite participants to come back to the Ecology Centre after the event to celebrate our first seeding trial.