CoAct Database

SeaForester

Seaforests are major natural carbon sinks that have been shrinking in several places of the world. This is worrisome not only because of the critical function these ecosystems perform in the carbon cycle and in fish production, but also because many of these ecosystems are also important biodiversity hotspots. This is especially true in places like the Portuguese coastline which has been an important refuge over the last glaciations and, thus, supports today a rare and ancient biodiversity. Along the Portuguese coastline many species from different taxa find their southern limit, while other have their northern limit, and this diversity has contributed to complex and biodiverse trophic networks that play an important role as biodiversity sources and climate regulators. The strategic goal of this proposal is threefold: to protect coastal and marine seaforests; to restore degraded coastal and marine ecosystems through the translocation of seaweeds which may act as the propulsor of natural recovery; and to test management regimes that may contribute to greater knowledge of ecosystems’ functioning and best practice guidelines. In the first phase of this proposal the aim is to produce some macroalgae species in the lab, with innovative methodologies based in aquaculture techniques, and to transplant the algae individuals to natural habitats along the Portuguese coast. In a second phase, this approach shall be used to restore natural habitats in other places of the world that have also undergone biodiversity loss or a decline of seaforest distribution area. The proposal also focuses on seaforests’ protection and awareness-raising.