Marine Plant Restoration

Seagrass, Salt Marshes, Mangroves and Kelp

Seagrass Meadows, Salt marshes, Mangroves and Kelp Forests are vital ecosystems. The environmental benefits effect much more than just the ocean. Through our new transplanting method we will be able to implement large scale, rapid restoration. Using alginate from harvested kelp, a transplant container is formed which enables larger scale restoration efforts with higher survivability rates. Larger scale restoration contribute to a positive feed back loop, helping the ecosystems grow and restore themselves naturally.

How the Transplanting Conatainer works

The transplant Container is made by mixing sodium alginate with a substrate; sand, and water. When exposed to a calcium solution the substrate forms a shell. The transplant substrate is then left to dry and harden forming the transplant container. Marine plants are carefully placed within the transplant container. Once in the container a soft protective layer of transplant substrate may be applied. This is done by applying the transplant substrate and exposing it to the calcium solution to form a gel like shell. The transplant container rehydrates when submerged, becoming soft. Allowing the plant's roots and rhizomes to grow through the once hard transplant container.

A few of the advantages of this method include;

The plant retains it's microbiome, root structure and sediment during transplanting, reducing many of the risks associated with transplanting
When dry; the transplant containers are durable and easy to handle making transport easier
When wet; the transplant containers rehydrate and soften allowing roots and rhizomes to grow through the transplant container.
Increases the scale of restoration efforts by...

- Extending the planting season

- Extending the potential areas which transplanting is viable expanding to deeper and more turbulent waters

- Increasing the density and coverage of restoration efforts

- Making the transplanting process more productive through a faster, cheaper and less labor intensive technique

By increasing the scale of restoration efforts, the survivability of transplanted areas increases as well as endangered meadows.
Focuses on transplanting mature plants which have the highest survival rates amongst all restoration methods.
Transplanting nursery plants instead of wild plants reducing risk of damaging existing meadows.
Sequesters carbon within the alginate in the seafloor.
Promotes kelp farming; which pulls carbon and nitrogen from the ocean combating ocean acidification and nitrification respectively.

Seagrass

Seagrass is important for so many reasons. Providing a shelter and an estuary for many species, a food source for beloved turtles and manatees, filtering chemical pollution, trapping sediments preventing erosion, increasing the quality and clarity of the water, dampening wave energy and even acting as a carbon sink; pulling carbon from the atmosphere and mitigating the effects of ocean acidification. Seagrass pulls carbon from the atmosphere 4-8x better than trees.

Salt Marshes

Salt Marshes while less biodiverse than mangroves and seagrass provide a habitat for both fish, birds and other animals. Salt marshes improve water quality, naturally filtering chemical pollution in the water. Salt marshes provide erosion and storm protection dampening waves and capturing sediments.

Attempts have been made in the past to transplant large pallets of plants to the edges of existing salt marshes to expand their coverage. However, the sediment immediately dispersed within the water. Increasing the turbidity and destroying the vital root structure needed to support the plants. Our transplanting method retains the structure giving the plant time to acclimate to it's new surrounding and settle into their new home.

Mangroves

Mangroves help protect the coast from erosion and storms. Provide a habitat for a large variety of species. Mangroves naturally pull carbon from both the ocean and the air. The transplanting substrate we use allows for larger more mature mangroves to be planted in the wild without increasing the turbidity of the local water and loosing the vital substrate aggregates and microbiome which the plant is currently growing within.

Currently, the only restoration methods to date involve the planting of mangrove seeds by hand. Our method allows for more mature plants to be transplanted. Sediments, microbiome, and root structure and are held together during planting. If attempted without the transplanting container the sediments would wash away increasing the turbidity of the water putting nearby vegetation at risk. Also, as the sediments wash away so does the microbiome and nutrient source for the plant. Eventually leading to nutrient deprivation and starvation.

Kelp Forests

Kelp is the fastest growing macro algae, capable of growing at a rate of 2 feet per day. Kelp pulls carbon and nitrogen from the water. The alginate used to form the transplant container is made by processing kelp. Therefore the methods we use for restoration help support and grow the kelp farming industry. Kelp farming is an important tool for carbon removal and mitigating the nitrification of local waters. The carbon removed from the ocean through kelp farming is sequestered within the transplant container used to restore the above mentioned habitats.