Seagrass Restoration Project: Developing educational video modules to train citizens on seagrass restoration techniques

Terrestrial restoration has a long tradition of engaging the general public on issues relating to ecosystem decline, to the point where large swaths of the community can participate in restoration, e.g., Arbor Day planting millions of trees worldwide. To date, marine restoration, is primarily carried out through professional scientists and resource managers with very little involvement from the lay community. This presents a major challenge for conservation, as it is difficult to gain public support when the general public has little to no interaction with marine ecosystems, including restoration activities. My colleagues and I have developed successful restoration techniques for seagrasses, and important habitat-forming group of marine flowering plants that are declining globally at critical rates. Together we will develop training videos designed to educate the public on seagrass restoration techniques.