Mote Marine Laboratory leads seagrass restoration efforts

Mote Marine Laboratory leads seagrass restoration efforts © Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Seagrasses play a crucial role in the health and resilience of Florida's coastal ecosystems. They provide nursery habitats for keystone species and stabilize shorelines and sediments.

Seagrasses contribute significantly to environmental health by filtering excess nutrients from the water (which improves water quality and reduces harmful algal blooms), capturing and storing carbon dioxide (a process known as carbon sequestration that helps mitigate climate threats), and stabilizing coastal ecosystems (enhancing overall resilience to storms and erosion). Yet, these underwater meadows are vanishing at an alarming rate—approximately 7% per year—due to human activities, natural stressors, and impacts of a changing climate.

Recognizing the urgency for innovative solutions to seagrass meadows depleting globally at alarming rates, the Florida Legislature and Governor established the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative in 2023 through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), with Mote Marine Laboratory leading this groundbreaking effort.

The goal of this groundbreaking Initiative is to develop, test and implement innovative, effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally sustainable technologies and approaches for restoring coastal seagrass ecosystems. The Initiative is a partnership between Mote, the DEP Aquatic Preserve Program, and the University of Florida. Mote serves as the lead administrative component to achieve the goals of the Initiative and create a 10-year Florida Seagrass Restoration Plan.

The Initiative is modeled after the success of the Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory to develop technologies and approaches to control and mitigate red tide and its impacts.

The Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative is a collaborative and coordinated effort among public and private research entities to develop restoration technologies. It aims to address the loss of seagrass and the cascading ecological and economic impacts of that loss on communities across Florida. As part of this effort, Mote is constructing and managing Florida's primary seagrass genetic library, serving as a hub for statewide collaboration.

In 2024, Mote completed construction on a state-of-the-art greenhouse, which will serve as a cornerstone for seagrass research efforts, enabling scientists, from across florida and around the world, to conduct experiments that replicate real-world stressors such as warming temperatures, reduced salinity, turbidity, grazing, and sulfides. By identifying and cultivating seagrass genotypes resilient to these challenges, Mote is laying the groundwork for long-term restoration success.

"The development of the new Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative and Mote's new Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration Research Program represents a monumental advancement of technology to restore and protect Florida's seagrass meadows," said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. "This program highlights Mote's leadership in the marine research community, exemplified by our early recognition of the critical role of seagrass and our dedication to advancing its preservation through innovative, science-based restoration efforts."

Mote postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Dominique Gallery, is playing a lead role in Mote's Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration Research Program (SERRP), which is designed to tackle these challenges head-on by blending advanced genetic science with practical restoration techniques, a similar approach to Mote's groundbreaking coral restoration strategies.

Dr. Gallery is an accomplished researcher specializing in genetic and genomic approaches to marine conservation, will generate genetically resilient seagrass capable of natural reproduction in land-based nurseries, in-water nurseries, and large-scale gene banks. Dr. Gallery brings extensive expertise in applying population genetics techniques—previously utilized in coral research—to the emerging field of seagrass restoration.

Since the Initiative's inception, Mote has successfully leveraged funding from federal grants and philanthropic support to drive critical advancements in seagrass restoration. Mote contracted eight groundbreaking projects in summer 2024 and released a second competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) in December.

Below are the 2025 awardees, their project titles, and detailed descriptions of their innovative work:

Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch: Comprehensive Assessment of Genetic Variability in Syringodium filiforme Across Florida
This project expands current research to assess the genetic diversity and population connectivity of Syringodium filiforme (manatee grass) throughout Florida. By identifying distinct genetic populations and their responses to environmental stressors, the research will inform best practices for selecting resilient genotypes to prioritize in seagrass nursery programs. Results will guide restoration strategies to protect genetic integrity and promote long-term ecosystem stability.

Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch: Resiliency of Halodule wrightii to Environmental Stressors
This study investigates how temperature, freshwater discharge, and light limitation impact the resilience of Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) in the Indian River Lagoon. Through controlled experiments at the Harbor Branch Seagrass Nursery, researchers will assess molecular responses and identify genes associated with environmental tolerance. Findings will help enhance nursery practices and support science-based restoration through assisted evolution strategies.

Brevard Zoo, University of Central Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, University of Lausanne: Impacts of Sediment Conditions and Species Interactions on Shoal Grass Restoration
This project examines how sediment quality, nutrient levels, microbial communities, and interspecies competition influence the success of Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) restoration. Combining field trials and laboratory experiments, researchers aim to improve restoration site selection and outcomes by identifying environmental conditions that promote seagrass establishment and long-term survival.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Supporting Seagrass Restoration in Lake Worth Lagoon
This project will map heavy metal contamination and genetically profile seagrass in Lake Worth Lagoon to guide targeted restoration efforts. The data will support the Initiative's statewide genetic library and help identify species with the greatest resilience. The project also strengthens local restoration capacity and maintains a nursery at Manatee Lagoon, contributing to long-term restoration goals and ecosystem health.

University of New Orleans, Vesta: Gene Expression and Thermal Resilience of Halodule wrightii Across Florida
Researchers will compare how northern and southern Florida populations of Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) respond to heat stress. Using transcriptomic analysis and productivity assessments in a controlled setting at Mote Marine Laboratory, the study will identify genes associated with resilience to warming. Outcomes will inform future restoration by revealing regional differences in adaptive capacity.

University of Central Florida: Seagrass Strikes Back: Thermo-Priming for Marine Heatwave Resilience
This project explores a novel technique—thermo-priming—to enhance the thermal tolerance of Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) and Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass). The multi-institutional team will identify heat resilience mechanisms at the molecular level and develop practical guidance for restoration in heat-prone environments. The project advances technologies aligned with the Initiative's mission.

Florida Institute of Technology: Evaluating Biochar as a Tool for Seagrass Restoration in Indian River Lagoon
This study tests the use of biochar to improve sediment conditions for seagrass growth in Indian River Lagoon. Researchers will examine how different biochar concentrations affect the health and growth of three seagrass species. Results from field and laboratory grow-outs will inform scalable strategies for restoring degraded habitats, with findings shared through local outreach efforts.

University of Wisconsin - Madison: Influence of Ocean Acidification and Nutrient Loading on Seagrass Resilience
This project investigates how ocean acidification and nutrient enrichment interact to affect seagrass health. Using controlled mesocosm experiments, researchers will determine thresholds beyond which Thalassia testudinum (turtlegrass) and Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) begin to decline. Results will help identify vulnerable areas using Statewide Ecosystem Assessment of Coastal and Aquatic Resources (SEACAR) data and contribute valuable genetic and physiological insights to the Initiative's statewide planning tools.

These selected projects represent the Initiative's collaborative spirit and commitment to advancing novel, scalable solutions to reverse the decline of Florida's seagrass ecosystems. By funding a diversity of approaches—from genetic and ecological research to field-based restoration pilots—the Initiative accelerates the development of tools and knowledge essential for statewide implementation.

Through its pioneering research, strategic collaborations, and dedication to innovation, Mote is leading the charge in addressing the global seagrass crisis. The Initiative not only represents hope for restoring essential marine habitats but also serves as a testament to the power of science-driven solutions in safeguarding our oceans for future generations.