The findings mark a significant step forward for Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s efforts to restore this vital underwater habitat, which supports marine wildlife, stores carbon, and improves water quality. 

The results follow months of uncertainty after seeds planted in the estuary last November initially showed little sign of germination. Just six seedlings had emerged by the end of April, raising concerns that the trial might have failed. However, continued monitoring revealed further growth, with more than 430 shoots eventually recorded. 

These seeds were collected by volunteers from a donor meadow in Torpoint in Autumn 2025, and mixed with mud from the Fowey restoration site. They were then planted using a modified mud-injection technique. The approach involved injecting the seed-filled mixture into the seabed, where the seeds remained through the winter before germinating in spring. 

The successful results have provided valuable insight into techniques that could help bring lost seagrass meadows back to Cornwall’s estuaries. 

Chloe James, Seagrass Project Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, says: 

“Seeing more than 430 seagrass shoots emerge at our Fowey restoration site has been hugely encouraging. After an uncertain start to the spring, the new growth was a powerful reminder of why restoration work takes time, persistence, and a willingness to keep learning." 

“Seagrass meadows are incredibly valuable habitats. We know that restoring them is not straightforward, but every successful trial gives us more knowledge to help these habitats recover in the places where they have been lost.” 

The Fowey trial is part of Seeding Change Together, a partnership between Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Seasalt Cornwall launched in 2022. Over the past four years, the project team has worked alongside volunteers, researchers, and partners to investigate different ways of restoring seagrass at sites including Torpoint, the Fowey Estuary, and the Helford Estuary. 

The team’s experience highlights the challenges involved in restoring seagrass, with results varying between sites and seasons. At Calamansack on the Helford Estuary, extensive algal growth during summer 2025 appeared to have resulted in the loss of the planted seedlings. However, a subsequent survey revealed three surviving plants that had persisted and begun to grow and spread. Although small in number, these surviving seedlings offer further hope for the site’s long-term recovery and underline the importance of continued monitoring to understand how seagrass responds to changing environmental conditions. 

Seagrass is the only group of flowering plants able to live fully submerged in seawater. Its meadows provide important nursery habitat for fish and other marine species, store significant amounts of carbon, help improve water quality, and reduce coastal erosion. Mainland Britain has lost up to 92% of its seagrass meadows on average over the last century, making efforts to protect remaining meadows and restore those that have disappeared increasingly important. 

Following another busy seed-harvesting season this autumn, the team is preparing to plant more seeds at the Fowey and Helford estuaries. The aim is to increase the number of established seedlings and, over time, help restore functioning seagrass meadows. 

Chloe added: 

“We are still at an early stage, and there is much more to understand, but these results give us real reasons to be hopeful." 

“None of this would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and the support of our project partners. We’re excited to see what the next round of planting brings when we return to monitor the sites in spring 2027.” 

Seeding Change Together has been made possible through the support of Seasalt Cornwall, which has contributed £250,000 to the project, alongside additional funding secured through Government grants, Sea-Changers, and Rewilding Britain.