Show Notes
About This Episode
Seagrass doesn't get much attention in conversations about marine conservation or climate change. Most of us have never thought twice about it — it's just the stuff that brushes your legs when you swim. But Benjamin Jones, founder of Project Seagrass, argues that this overlooked ecosystem is one of the most important things we're currently ignoring.
What makes seagrass remarkable isn't just the science. It's the people. Communities across the Indo-Pacific depend directly on seagrass meadows for their survival. When seagrass disappears, fisheries collapse, food sources vanish, and millions of people slip further into poverty. And yet, most of the world has no idea this is happening.
In this episode, Benjamin takes us beyond the theory of seagrass conservation and into the reality of what it looks like to protect an ecosystem that spans continents, involves countless stakeholders, and sits at the intersection of climate, food security, and human dignity. He talks about why political change matters more than planting, how to get communities and governments aligned, and what actually works when everything seems too complicated to fix.
In This Episode
- How seagrass went from the "ugly duckling" of marine conservation to a major focus for global organizations
- Why 13.5 million people living below the poverty line depend directly on seagrass for their daily survival
- The disconnect between land management and ocean health — and why governments can't solve it alone
- How one community in Indonesia redesigned their entire approach to conservation by thinking beyond marine protected areas
- What the last decade has shown us about seagrass decline and what's actually possible to reverse it
- Why the real conservation work happens when you "put your head above water" and see the human element
- How you can contribute to global seagrass mapping through citizen science
- The difference between restoration efforts that work and those that waste resources
- What happens if we do nothing: the carbon, the fisheries, the cascading impact on vulnerable communities
Key Quotes
"When I look above water, I realised how important seagrass really was — and it's not just about the marine ecology, it's about these people that need it daily."
"Seagrass is their sort of bank in the water, their lifeline really — and fishing communities all over the world know this, even when the rest of us don't."
"The biggest achievement isn't planting seagrass. It's getting countries to create national action plans, getting political parties to care about water quality because their constituents are asking for it."
"You can't plant seagrass everywhere. You have to mitigate the threats first — and those threats come from land. It's water quality, coastal development, land use change."
About Dr. Benjamin Jones
Benjamin Jones is the founder and chief conservation officer of Project Seagrass, a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing seagrass conservation through science, restoration, and community action. Starting as a marine ecologist, Benjamin shifted his focus to seagrass after realizing that conservation science alone wasn't enough — he needed to understand the human dimension of ecosystems. Over the past 12 years, Project Seagrass has grown from an idea into a global organisation with 30 staff members and partnerships across every continent. Benjamin is regularly invited to speak at international forums including the United Nations and IUCN congresses, bringing attention to an ecosystem that was once entirely overlooked.
Resources Mentioned
- Project Seagrass — Global conservation organization focused on seagrass restoration and community action
- Seagrass Spotter app — Citizen science platform that allows divers and snorkelers to document seagrass sightings globally
- Blue Planet 2 — BBC documentary series that featured seagrass and brought it into mainstream awareness
- Wales National Seagrass Action Plan — The world's first national seagrass action plan, created through cross-party collaboration
- Wakatobi Archipelago (Indonesia) — Key region where Project Seagrass works with Bajo communities dependent on seagrass
Contact & Follow
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