Founded on science. Powered by communities.
Improving the scalability and transferability of seagrass mapping methods to better understand ecosystems around the world.
A collaboration between:
Support from:
Seagrass sustains us
People depend on seagrass whether they know it or not. Seagrasses stabilize our coastlines, act as nurseries for fish, offer critical habitat for marine life, and provide essential services to billions of people around the world. They also filter pollutants from the water, keeping the waters pristine. Despite covering a relatively small area, seagrasses account for 10 percent of the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon. But the world is losing seagrasses faster than forests. Almost 20 percent of monitored seagrass meadows across the globe have disappeared. The destruction of seagrasses puts us all at risk.
Global-first design
Built from the start to map seagrass consistently across regions, not just in well-studied or easy-to-observe locations.
Powered by Earth Index
Uses advanced AI foundation models that can be fine-tuned to different environments, improving accuracy and adaptability.
Beyond clear waters
Focuses on tackling difficult habitats—such as turbid, deep, or underfunded regions—where mapping has historically been limited.
Transparent confidence
Delivers maps with clear confidence levels and uncertainty layers so users understand what the data does and does not show.
Harmonized datasets
Brings together field data, expert knowledge, and existing datasets into a standardized, open reference system.
Open, scalable methods
Publishes accessible, peer-reviewed methods so scientists and practitioners worldwide can apply and improve the approach.
Scalable, repeatable, high-resolution
You can’t protect what you don’t know you have. Yet not all seagrass lives in clear, shallow waters where mapping is easy. Seagrasses are often found in murky, hard to reach places where projects are overlooked and underfunded. This has left a gaping knowledge gap. Our mapping protects the planet by diving deeper, creating a blueprint that is both scalable and repeatable across environments.
Global reach founded on trust and collaboration
We firmly believe that without the support of communities, we will fail. Our network of scientists works together with communities from the beginning. End-users inform how we establish transparent methods, offer feedback throughout the process and engage in training to use the tools, ensuring that these truly are tools that they can rely on.
Grounded in science, powered by people
Using satellite imagery, field observations, and expert insight, we’re creating transparent, high-quality methods for mapping seagrass globally. Best practices come from real experience. We work in partnership with local teams who guide our protocols and fill data gaps, so our maps reflect reality. Together, we are improving the scalability and transferability of seagrass mapping methods to better understand and better protect these ecosystems around the world.
The blueprint for lasting impact
This seagrass mapping effort can only be successful if we have cooperation across sectors and geographies. We need local groups to show us where seagrass is and how it has been changing. We need scientists to understand these patterns. We need governments to use the tool and improve management of meadows. We need philanthropists to fund future mapping efforts. Through collaboration, we are creating practical tools people can rely on and building the foundation for global seagrass conservation.
Geographically focused
While seagrass decline is a global issue, we’re focusing on four strategic regions where we can push the science forward fastest. Insights from these places will power mapping tools that work across coastlines everywhere.
U.S. East Coast
Caribbean
Mediterranean
Indonesia
Core Team
Alice Durieux, Earth Genome
Denise Perez, The Nature Conservancy
Jim Fourqurean, Florida International University
Steve Schill, The Nature Conservancy
Glen Low, Earth Genome
Emily Landis, The Nature Conservancy
Lindsey Smart, The Nature Conservancy
Ben Strong, Earth Genome
Implementation Team
Silvia Valery Ávila Mosqueda, UNAM
Jud Kenworthy, APNEP
Ana Carolina Peralta, University of South Florida
Jessie Jarvis, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Jill Bieri, The Nature Conservancy
Jimena Samper Villarreal, Smithsonian
Megan Coffer
Pramaditya Wicaksono, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Yusuf Fajariyanto, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara
Dimitris Poursanidis, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas
Brigitta Van, UNAM
Vasilis Papathanasiou, Fisheries Research Institute-INALE
Advisory Committee
Siti Maryam Yaakub, Conservation International
Nicholas Murray, JCU
Oscar Serrano, CEAB-CSIC
Steve Canty, Smithsonian Institution
Margo Buchbiner, Smithsonian Institution
Victoria Hill, Old Dominion University
Chris Roelfsema, University of Queensland
Ben Jones, Project Seagrass
Jiwei Li, ASU
Marie-Helene Rio, ESA
Emmet Duffy, Smithsonian MarineGEO
Annie Taylor, The Nature Conservancy
Anthony Campbell, NASA/UMBC
Boze Hancock, The Nature Conservancy
Len McKenzie, James Cook University
Richard Unsworth, Swansea University and Project Seagrass
Stacy Baez, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Join the effort!
Whether you want to contribute data, explore a collaboration, or simply stay connected as the project grows, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out and let’s keep building this together.