Our Blue Backyard

June 2025

Seagrass beds are under-recognized coastal protectors. They slow waves and trap sand, which raises seabeds higher and prevents shoreline erosion. During storms they decrease wave energy. They are natural breakwaters that also clean ocean water and shelter fish. Unlike concrete barriers, seagrass strengthens over time, and it even stores carbon underwater as it grows.

Around the world, many communities are beginning to use this natural defense system. In the United Kingdom there are new projects to use seagrass to reduce erosion near sea-level coastal towns. Across the United States, projects in Virginia, North Carolina, and San Francisco Bay are using seagrass restoration to reduce the risk of flooding. Community projects in Indonesia and Kenya are also using seagrass to protect vulnerable villages, as well as the local fisheries that sustain them. Seagrass may be one of our best hopes for protecting coastal life in the future.