S2 E26: Restoring Seagrass on the Great Barrier Reef with Dr Tim Smith

Seagrass meadows are the unsung heroes of the Great Barrier Reef – nurseries for fish, food for turtles and dugongs, and a frontline defence against climate change. But after a massive die-off, Dr Tim Smith and the team at JCU TropWATER faced a huge challenge: how do you restore these fragile ecosystems while dealing with crocodiles, stingers, and waist-deep mud?

The answer: helicopters, hovercraft, dugong poo, 2,000 baby seagrass plants – and an army of everyday volunteers.

🎧 In this episode, dive into a world-first tropical seagrass restoration project and discover how you can be part of the solution.

👉 Sign up to volunteer: https://ozfish.org.au/events

Chapters

• 0:00 Introductions & Joke of the Week
• 2:39 Seagrasses of the GBR
• 4:50 Green Island: Seagrass Heaven
• 7:37 Why is Seagrass Important?
• 11:53 Seagrass vs. seaweed
• 13:33 Sea Flowers and Sea Bees
• 17:00 Looking for seagrass seeds
• 19:44 Impact of Seagrass Loss on Dugongs and Turtles
• 20:16 Why Seagrass is Immortal
• 23:10 Spying on Fish
• 25:26 Threats to Seagrasses
• 26:37 The FNQ Seagrass Restoration Project
• 37:07 Climate Impacts on Seagrass