A PIONEERING research project to help conserve seagrass and seahorses off the Dorset coast has been given a funding boost.

The £475,000 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will enable marine biologists at the National Marine Aquarium to deliver a three-year science project, working with partner organisations along the south coast.

It will find out more about native seagrass and seahorses across the south west of England, including Dorset, and help to conserve fragile seagrass eco-systems.

The Community Seagrass Initiative – which will cover the 191-mile stretch of coastline from Looe in Cornwall to Weymouth – will engage volunteers to help monitor the health and biodiversity of seagrass beds, with sailors, canoeists, divers and even internet users all set to be encouraged to take part in the project.

There is also a major public engagement element, which will aim to connect the coastal community with this important element of natural heritage.

A team at the Plymouth-based National Marine Aquarium, led by Director of Conservation and Communication Paul Cox, has already been working closely with the community during the development phase of the project.

Earlier this year, the Aquarium received an unusual donation from Devon and Cornwall Police – confiscated equipment, previously used for growing cannabis illegally.

The lighting and growing trays are now being used to grow and study seagrass at close range in the centre enabling the project team to gain a better understanding of its biology and importance to the range of marine wildlife, including the native seahorse species.

Although there are over 30 species of seahorses worldwide, there are only two species native to the UK – the Spiny Seahorse and the Short Snouted Seahorse, both of which can be found along the south west coast.

Seagrass beds, and the marine animals that rely on them for food and shelter, face a number of threats from pollution, coastal development and disturbance by vessels, as well as natural factors, like disease and storms. Dr David Gibson, Managing Director at the National Marine Aquarium, commented: “We are delighted to have received the funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to help us to deliver this pioneering research into seagrass and seahorses.

“This project gives us a valuable opportunity, working with partners and volunteers, to learn a lot more about this native habitat which will really help to protect our two native seahorse species. This funding is a very welcome boost to move our understanding forward.”