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Solent Spring Seagrass Symposium Dates Announced

The Isle of Wight Biosphere will be hosting a Seagrass Symposium for the Island and Solent region this Spring.

Sponsors of the event include Project Seagrass, WWF UK, Hampshire & Isle of Wildlife Trust and the REMEDIES project as well as local partner organisations.

The Symposium will take place at Cowes Yacht Haven on Wednesday April 19.

The evening will include talks by some of the organisations leading seagrass meadows research and conservation work, with updates on what’s been achieved so far and opportunities to contribute to ongoing work.

Seagrass is an underwater flowering plant, growing in shallow waters around our coast and providing us and wildlife with numerous benefits.

The meadows provide habitat for many marine species including nursery grounds for commercial fish species; they store carbon in the ocean floor, help to stabilise our coastlines from erosion through storms, and clean our water.

However, this extraordinary ecosystem is threatened by range of human impacts. 

Issy Inman, Volunteer and Community Co-ordinator at Project Seagrass, said:

“We would like to welcome as broad a community as possible to join us both at the Solent Seagrass Symposium and in the active work towards seagrass research and restoration.

"Marine and boating industry, harbour users, landowners, schools or communities – all of us can play a part in this global work.”

The Seagrass Symposium takes place on Wednesday April 19 from 7pm – 8.30pm.

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