Ecosystem Monitoring
Seagrass meadow monitoring from quadrat surveys to blue carbon assessment
Track seagrass health with standardized survey protocols including quadrat surveys, benthic transects, fish and invertebrate surveys, benthic imagery, and eDNA sampling. Measure cover, shoot density, canopy height, and species composition. Connect field data to blue carbon assessment through above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and sediment carbon measurements.
What you can monitor
Seagrass cover and species composition
Estimate percentage cover of each seagrass species within standardized quadrats. Track changes in species dominance and community structure over seasonal and annual cycles to detect early signs of meadow decline.
Shoot density and canopy height
Count individual shoots within sub-quadrats and measure canopy height to assess meadow condition. These structural metrics indicate growth vigour and are used in biomass calculations for carbon stock estimates.
Blue carbon: above-ground biomass
Calculate above-ground biomass from shoot density and canopy height measurements using species-specific allometric equations. Above-ground carbon represents the living tissue component of seagrass carbon stocks.
Sediment and habitat assessment
Record sediment type, classify substrate condition, and assess seagrass habitat quality within quadrats. Sediment characteristics influence nutrient cycling and seagrass meadow stability.
Biodiversity surveys
Conduct fish belt transects, invertebrate surveys, and eDNA sampling within seagrass meadows to assess faunal diversity and ecosystem function. These protocols complement habitat condition metrics with community-level biodiversity data.
Environmental context
Integrate water quality parameters, land use data, and satellite imagery with field observations. Environmental context helps identify terrestrial runoff, nutrient loading, and other pressures affecting seagrass health.
Seagrass protocols
Blue carbon connection
Seagrass meadows are among the most efficient carbon sinks on Earth, storing carbon in both living biomass and sediment layers accumulated over centuries. MariMap connects your field measurements directly to blue carbon assessment workflows. Shoot density, canopy height, and percentage cover data feed into above-ground biomass calculations and habitat condition assessments. These measurements form the foundation for carbon credit methodologies and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements.
Explore funded project solutionsEnvironmental data for seagrass
CMEMS Ocean Data
DailySea surface temperature, salinity, and current data from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. Track oceanographic conditions that influence seagrass growth and distribution.
CLMS Vegetation Indices
MonthlyCopernicus Land Monitoring Service vegetation indices and land cover data for assessing catchment conditions that influence seagrass habitats. Track land use changes affecting water quality.
CLMS Land Cover
Annual updateCopernicus Land Monitoring Service data for catchment land use analysis. Identify agricultural and urban pressures in coastal watersheds that contribute to nutrient runoff and sedimentation.
Ready to put MariMap to work?
Talk to our team about your monitoring programme, or start exploring the platform right away.