Better protection for valuable marine habitats
Locations of sensitive seagrass meadows are now available on an app
Boaters across the south coast can now access data on sensitive marine habitats, allowing them to steer clear of them when out on the water.
savvy navvy - which is an app containing charts, weather and tide information - is also sharing locations of seagrass meadows.
It's teamed up with the Ocean Conservation Trust and Clean Sailors for the #ProtectOurBeds campaign.
The aim is to bring greater awareness to water users about the sensitive habitats that are beneath the waves and help them exist in harmony.
Seagrasses are one of the most valuable and biodiverse habitats on the planet and provide multiple benefits to the environment and society. They can be up to 35 times more efficient at absorbing carbon than rainforests of the same area; despite only covering 0.2% of the Ocean floor, seagrasses store 10% of the Ocean’s carbon. They also provide a habitat for rare and endangered species, and a single hectare of seagrass can support up to 80,000 fish and 100 million small invertebrates.
“The Ocean Conservation Trust has been working with the boating community to conserve nature for the past decade, so we are delighted to be the conservation lead in this project. The addition of sensitive habitat information on savvy navvy navigational charts is the first time the boating community can easily understand what lies beneath the keel. Seagrass habitats are biodiversity hotspots and in decline from multiple pressures, so providing this information to the conscientious boater is a significant step forward in the recovery of this vital Ocean habitat,” says Mark Parry, Head of Ocean Habitat Restoration at the Ocean Conservation Trust.
Despite the importance of seagrass, in the UK alone, we have lost nearly half our seagrass beds since the 1930s, mainly due to avoidable human activity. Anchoring causes damage to delicate seagrass habitats, as the chain drags along the seabed disturbing and damaging the plants. Advanced mooring systems can be used to mitigate this, with a series of mid-water floats that elevate the chain from the seabed, allowing the seagrass to grow, undisturbed.
Through the #ProtectOurBeds campaign, users of the savvy navvy app will be able to see the location of sensitive seagrass habitats and Advanced Mooring Systems. For the first time we are putting the data into the hands of water users, making it accessible, so they can make informed decisions and choose to do their bit to protect this special habitat.
“The #ProtectOurBeds campaign is collating geo-spatial data on sensitive seabeds and showing the information in the savvy navvy navigation app – providing sailors and water-users with a clear view of where seagrass beds are and alternatives to anchoring. By sharing sensitive seabed locations with digital navigators, and the location of advanced moorings, we can educate, inspire and encourage our sailing community to make more informed anchoring choices when out on the water. Making this data visible to those of us who can mitigate our impact when boating, across the world, is incredibly exciting and just makes so much sense to seagrass conservation efforts globally,” says Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors.
“We are so excited to work with Clean Sailors and the Ocean Conservation Trust and be one of the only navigation apps on the market helping to build environmental awareness through showcasing vital seagrass data. While savvy navvy is all about simplifying boating technology by making navigation safe and easy for everyone, innovative campaigns helping boaters to make better choices when out on the water is something we feel very strongly about. This year we are looking to build one of the most insight-rich platforms on boating behaviour, helping marine businesses across the globe and the #ProtectOurBeds campaign is a great way to kickstart this,” says David Cusworth, Head of Innovation and Partnerships at savvy navvy.
This is just the start of an exciting conversation. There is seagrass out there that hasn’t been mapped yet, or areas that need more data. Through this partnership and working with water users, a comprehensive picture of sensitive seabeds will be built – a win-win for conservation, seagrass science and water users, who are all custodians of the Ocean.
The #protectourbeds campaign is looking for data partners across Europe and the USA for the next milestone of the project. All enquiries and applications can be directed to Clean Sailors via info@cleansailors.com.