National Marine Aquarium Plymouth awarded £250,000

The National Marine Aquarium can get kick-started on restoring seagrass habitats along the South Devon coast.

It's thanks to £250,000 of funding from the government's Green Recovery Challenge Grant.

Seven other organisations across the South West have benefitted from the money too, will go towards 10 projects:

• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire (£1.6million)

• Plantlife, Salisbury (£923,000)

• Dorset AONB Partnership/Dorset Council (£764,000)

• Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (£250,000)

• Mendip Hills AONB Unit, Somerset (£249,000)

• Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (£76,000)

• East Devon AONB Partnership (£69,000)

• The Ocean Conservation Trust - which runs the aquarium - say the funding will enable large scale seagrass restoration supporting fisheries whilst sequestering carbon

Mark Parry, Development Officer at the Ocean Conservation Trust, said:

"It is hugely exciting to be awarded this funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for restoration of subtidal seagrass beds.

The project looks to take an innovative and fresh approach to seagrass restoration and will demonstrate large scale restoration techniques in South Devon with the aim of recovering the benefits to fisheries and adding to carbon sequestration."

The Green Recovery Fund is a key part of Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change.

The fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

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