5 Restaurants, Hotels And Organizations Preserving Seagrass And Seafood
The Maldives is famously a bucket list destination for its stilt-perched wooden bungalows seemingly floating atop pristinely clear lagoons. However, these stunning views come at a steep environmental cost—thousands of acres of seagrass beds surrounding tropical resorts worldwide are destroyed to achieve this Instagrammable aesthetic. Essential to the ocean ecosystem, seagrass meadows not only provide sanctuary and food for marine life and birds, filter water, protect coastlines, and bury carbon, but they also absorb as much as 10% of the ocean's carbon dioxide.
Preserving seagrass is a timely issue, especially in light of new research underscoring its potential to improve public health. This past August, a new study titled Seagrass ecosystems as green urban infrastructure to mediate human pathogens found that seagrass ecosystems could effectively remove the bulk of human bacterial pathogens from seafood. In the era of antibiotic resistance, preserving seagrass could be vital for ensuring safer seafood and, in turn, public health. It's estimated that 1.1 billion people live within 30 miles of seagrass ecosystems; therefore, the urban greening of seagrass could be a viable way to strengthen food security, human health, and biodiversity sustainability goals,
Recognizing the ecological value of seagrass, a successful movement in Maldives is leading resorts to actively preserve these vital marine ecosystems. Starting in 2019, Six Senses Laamu partnered with the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) to launch the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign. The successful initiative persuaded over 25% of the Maldives' luxury resorts to safeguard their seagrass meadows. Under these efforts, over 910,000 square meters of seagrass surrounding Maldivian resort islands were protected. Six Senses Laamu continues to educate guests about marine conservation through its SHELL facility, offering hands-on education. The resort also eliminated shrimp and prawns from all menus as these species are often inextricably entwined to environmentally harmful fishing methods.
The Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project has also made substantial strides in eight countries, including the Maldives, to protect the endangered dugong—an herbivorous marine mammal similar in appearance to the manatee. Both the dugong and manatee depend on seagrass as a main dietary resource. This project educates locals on the importance of seagrass conservation for the dugongs, the overall marine environment, and their livelihoods. Thanks to seagrass protection efforts such as these, the public is gaining knowledge about seagrass and the role it plays in a balanced ecosystem.
PADI , a global diving organization, has made "blue carbon" ecosystems like seagrass central to its Blueprint for Ocean Action. "These habitats not only act as powerful carbon sinks but are also essential for sustaining healthy marine environments," explains PADI's global director of environment and sustainability Katie Thompson over email. "Though seagrass, for example, covers just 0.1% of the seafloor, it is responsible for sequestering 11% of organic carbon in the ocean, mitigating ocean acidification that threatens coral reefs." Through its AWARE Community Grant Program, PADI funds projects like Kosamare in Greece, where divers monitor seagrass health and install eco-friendly moorings to reduce damage—combining marine protection with sustainable tourism. "PADI also supports blue carbon conservation efforts by including a donation option to the PADI AWARE Grant Program at checkout on PADI Travel. Protecting seagrass is essential for maintaining a healthy ocean and preserving the ecosystems that inspire over 30 million certified PADI Divers to explore our blue planet."
Chefs are also embracing marine conservation in their restaurants. At Aponiente in Santa Maria, Spain, Chef Ángel León, known as the "Chef of the Sea," has pioneered seagrass cultivation. The restaurant—which won the World's Most Sustainable Restaurant 2022 award, and was recognized by the Michelin Guide as the most sustainable restaurant of 2020—is dedicated to preserving the seagrass-filled marsh of the Bay of Cádiz near his restaurant. He's also researching the local Zostera Marina grain—a type of seagrass—and its culinary potential. His team is cultivating seagrass seeds near the restaurant and hopes to inspire the creation of seagrass farms near other coastal areas.
Another standout figure in the culinary world championing marine conservation is Chef Rob Ruiz. In 2016, he received the prestigious World Ocean Award from the Blue Marine Foundation for his commitment to ocean sustainability. He leads Ensomakase , a 10-seat omakase restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, highlighting hyper-local produce and seafood sourced directly from the Ensenada coast and the Gulf of California.
Contribute to the solution by supporting resorts, restaurants, and initiatives that value seagrass preservation. Seagrass might not be as sexy as coral reefs or white-sand beaches but its ecological impact is profound.
