Plymouth Sound

Plymouth Sound is home to around 55 hectares of subtidal seagrass, with intertidal seagrass found in the local Rivers Tamar and Yealm. These meadows are a big part of why the Sound is an incredibly important and beautiful area of our coastline, and help to support over 1000 species of fish and other marine life. As well as Plymouth Sound being a Marine Protected Area (MPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is also the UK’s first ever National Marine Park. 

On the shores of Plymouth Sound lies the National Marine Aquarium (NMA), home of Ocean Conservation Trust. For years the NMA has been an important base for seagrass conservation and restoration; it was where we launched our involvement in the Community Seagrass Initiative, a focal site for the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project, and the birthplace of Blue Meadows. To this day, the NMA is crucially important for the running of Blue Meadows, hosting our original growing facility which is vital to the research and development of our restoration methods.  

Jennycliff Bay  

Jennycliff Bay, based within Plymouth Sound, is where our restoration work started, as part of the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project. As the cultivation and restoration lead, we trialled methods to restore Zostera marina. We identified viable ways to achieve subtidal seagrass restoration using Hydro Marine Seeding and Seagrass Mat Technology in combination. Now a Blue Meadows site, we continue to monitor and experiment within Jennycliff Bay to see the regeneration success. 

Jennycliff Bay is also home to our Sensitive Habitat Marker Buoys, which highlight the location of our restoration efforts and designate the area as an anchor-free zone to protect the seabed. Just 6 of these distinctive yellow buoys have been able to protect 10 hectares of seagrass! 

Cawsand  

Blue Meadows’s work at Cawsand began through the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project, with the installation of 5 Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS) in 2019. This trial aimed to test modified, low-impact moorings on how effective they were at reducing seabed disturbance. This was carried out with ReMEDIES partners, including the Marine Conservation Society, with funding from Princess Yachts. 

Four years of monitoring has shown a 212% increase in seagrass density where the traditional moorings were replaced, demonstrating how effective AMS can be in supporting seabed recovery. These early trials were also essential in developing the Advanced Mooring Systems used across Blue Meadows sites today. 

There are now 17 AMS in Cawsand, maintained by the Rame Head Boat Club, and Blue Meadows continues to monitor the site to safeguard the long-term health of these vital seagrass meadows.