Human development threatens Australia's coastal seagrass

Seagrasses along Australia's coast are being devastated at increasing rates, and human development is to blame.

How and when that damage first began occurring was the subject of a study at Edith Cowan University's centre for marine ecosystems research, which revealed one area had lost 80 per cent of its seagrass in fewer than 30 years.

"Normally people know a lot about corals, but seagrasses are not really recognised," lead researcher Oscar Serrano said.

Able to absorb carbon dioxide about 40 times faster than rainforests, seagrass is an undervalued natural method for offsetting carbon emissions, Dr Serrano said, as it acts as a long-term carbon sink.

Read Lucy Cormack’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Human development mows down seagrass, threatening a natural source of carbon storage.”