Unlocking the hidden history of seagrass meadows to guide restoration

Synopsis

Seagrass meadows are highly valuable marine ecosystems that support biodiversity, stabilise shorelines and store carbon. Despite their ecological importance, many seagrass meadows have declined due to human impacts. While restoration of the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis is now underway in New South Wales, we still know surprisingly little about how these ecosystems have changed over time. Understanding the long-term history of seagrass meadows can provide valuable insights into their natural dynamics, resilience, and carbon storage, helping to guide more effective restoration and conservation strategies..

Aims

We are seeking an Honours student to investigate the history of endangered seagrass meadows using sediment coring as natural sediment archives. The student will examine how seagrass ecosystems have changed through time and explore how these changes relate to environmental conditions and human impacts. The project will combine field sampling with laboratory analyses to reconstruct the history of seagrass meadows and quantify carbon accumulation. The findings will improve our understanding of seagrass resilience and provide evidence to guide future restoration and blue carbon initiatives.

Student benefits

This project would suit a student with an interest in marine ecology, biogeochemistry and blue carbon.

You'll benefit from working with a supportive team of academics from the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, industry scientists, and collaborators from Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). In addition to developing ecological research and analytical skills, you will gain valuable experience in marine fieldwork, sediment sampling, and laboratory techniques. You will contribute to improving the science and practice of seagrass restoration while advancing our understanding of how coastal ecosystems respond to environmental change over time.

Supervisors

Professor Adriana Vergés, Dr. Giulia Ferretto and collaborators at ANSTO.