ENDANGERED seagrasses off the Isle of Wight's Solent coast could be saved thanks to a new £2.5 million project.

Natural England's Recreation ReMEDIES project will protect seagrass meadows ­— a critically endangered EU red listed habitat, which can be easily damaged, and slow to recover.

Seagrass is threatened by anchoring, mooring and launching of recreational boats, as well as trampling from walkers and bait collectors.

The project will provide environmentally friendly moorings, voluntary codes, targeted training and habitat restoration.

Tim Ferrero, marine specialist at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “Seagrass beds are immensely important for both people and wildlife.

"They not only provide a home for a wide range of amazing species ­— such as cuttlefish, seahorse and stalked jellyfish ­— but also help to tackle the climate emergency, absorbing masses of carbon, supporting important local fisheries and helping to reduce coastal erosion.

"The Solent is one of the liveliest strips of sea in the UK — people come to sail, surf, canoe, fish and swim.

"The Wildlife Trust is currently working with hundreds of local people and organisations through our National Lottery Heritage Fund marine project, Secrets of the Solent ­— supporting and encouraging them to help look after our seas.

"We look forward to expanding on this activity through this exciting project.”

The techniques and evidence drawn from Recreation ReMEDIES will be evaluated to measure the conservation benefit, and assess how it could be repeated across Europe.

The programme will directly train nearly 2,000 recreational users, helping to collect seeds and replant seagrass ­— a first for England at this scale ­— inspire better care of the seagrass beds by recreational boat users, and roll-out solutions including advanced mooring systems that are more gentle on delicate underwater habitats.

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