Seagrass meadows are critical feeding habitat for dugongs, manatees and green sea turtles - their restoration directly improves welfare for these threatened marine megafauna.
Seagrass restoration welfare benefits are direct and significant for dugongs, manatees and sea turtles. Animals with inadequate seagrass access experience nutritional stress from reduced feeding efficiency and increased travel costs. Concentrated use of remaining seagrass patches increases boat strike risk - a significant source of manatee and dugong mortality and injury. Restoration of seagrass meadows creates dispersed feeding habitat that reduces this risk. The co-benefits of seagrass restoration - carbon sequestration, water quality improvement and fish nursery provision - make it one of the highest-leverage marine conservation investments, combining ecosystem and individual animal welfare benefits.