Laugharne-based Project Seagrass triples capacity with new polytunnel

Project Seagrass is celebrating a significant milestone in the development of their Seagrass Nursery facilities in West Wales following the opening of a new multi-span polytunnel.

Housing 12 new ponds, the recent expansion has tripled the sites’ previous capacity for polytunnel-based seagrass propagation, strengthening the Laugharne-based Nursery’s pivotal role in scaling the restoration of seagrass meadows across the UK.

A hub for seagrass research, innovation, and restoration science, the polytunnel opening forms part of a series of exciting developments taking place on site, including further utilisation of outdoor ponds and increased seed storage facilities.

The official opening of the new polytunnel took place on October 7, welcoming funders, partners, and members of the local community to the site to celebrate the collective efforts which have made the transformations at the site possible.

Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, Project Seagrass CEO said: “This expansion is a significant step forward for Project Seagrass and our ambition to enable seagrass recovery at scale. We couldn’t have reached this point without the support of the many funders and partners who have invested in our Nursery recognising and supporting our ambition for what it can become, and we are incredibly grateful.

“Importantly, this isn’t the end point. The infrastructure we are celebrating today provides a foundation for the next phase of our ambition, and with significant new support we now have an exciting opportunity to build on that momentum, further developing the site as a hub for the research, innovation, and practical capacity needed to accelerate seagrass and wider ecosystem recovery.”

Emily Yates, Nursery Manager said: “This event has been a real celebration of how the Seagrass Nursery has developed and what we have achieved in the last 5 years since starting out. The opening of the new polytunnel is a pivotal moment for us as we build upon what we have learnt to scaling restoration across the UK.

“Not only will it increase our capacity to directly support restoration efforts but to also increase our capacity to support the vital science and research that underpins our work.”

The work taking place at the Project Seagrass Nursery is made possible thanks to the support of Swansea University, Salix River and Wetland Services, Waterloo Foundation, Affinity Water, Aviva Community Fund, Synchronicity Earth, Moondance Foundation, Harth Hot Chocolate, Levy, Ragus, ERM Foundation, Ozone, and through Accelerate Seagrass a collaborative program being delivered by Climate Impact Partners, Deloitte, Project Seagrass, and the National Oceanography Centre.