World Seagrass Day 2023; March 1st.

FORUM: “Saving Seagrass.” World Seagrass Day 2024. Seagrasses have been declining globally since the 1930s, with the most recent census estimating that 7% of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year. It was recently noted that 21% of seagrass species are categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable and Endangered Species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The combined pressures of coastal development, pollution, including land-based run-off, climate change, dredging and unregulated fishing and boating activities are key drivers of the degradation of seagrasses and their associated ecosystems. Seagrass improve water quality by filtering, cycling and storing nutrients and pollutants, reducing contamination in seafood.

• The benefits from conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can also help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals.
• Given the carbon storage and sequestration capacity of seagrass ecosystems, including them in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can help nations achieve their targets under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Inclusion of seagrass ecosystems in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is also critical for protecting the integrity of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Restoration of seagrasses also provides countries with opportunities to achieve commitments to be made to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #BlueTransformation, #savingseagrass, #Seagrass, #worldSeagrassesDay, #1march.

EVENTS: On March 1st, to observe the World Seagrass Day 2024, a panel discussion will be held at UNHQ to find the ways to save seagrass meadows. The IORA Indian Ocean Blue Carbon Hub is holding a photography competition to highlight these extraordinary ecosystems.

 

PUBLICATION: Seagrasses are one of the most widespread coastal habitats on the planet. They provide a range of environmental, economic and social benefits to humans, making them one of the most valuable coastal and marine ecosystems on Earth, but they are under threat. The report, Out of the Blue: The Value of Seagrasses to the Environment and to People (UNEP), provides recommendations to help restore them.