Seagrass meadows play a critically important role in the reef ecosystem. They are nursery habitat for fish and prawns, they stabilise sediment and protect coastlines from erosion, they suck up and filter nutrients coming down from rivers into the reef lagoon, they absorb carbon and also help buffer the reef from pathogens and diseases.

However, many of the seagrass meadows in the Wet Tropics were badly damaged after Cyclones Larry and Yasi and they’ve been struggling to recover. In Mourilyan Harbour, scientists are giving nature a helping hand by replanting seagrass meadows.

In this week’s Reef & Rivers podcast Associate Professor at JCU Mike Rasheed shares some of his knowledge about seagrass and how researchers are monitoring seagrass meadows in the Wet Tropics. Paul Doyle from Ports North also shares his perspectives on being involved in seagrass monitoring and restoration.