Uddannelses og Forskningsministeriet - EUopSTART - Seagrass Based Solutions for Global Challenges

In SeaSol we develop a battery of innovative nature-based seagrass solutions (green infrastructure) to help limiting global warming and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, reducing eutrophication by capturing nitrogen and phosphorus and preventing coastal erosion through stabilizing root systems. We develop and train 15 early stage researchers (ESRs) in next-generation tools and approaches for climate mitigation, coastal protection and coastal monitoring enabling them to fight climate change. To find such naturebased solutions for global warming is one of the most important societal challenges today. SeaSol’s ambitious mitigation and adaptation measures support the UN Sustainable Development Goals 13&14, the Paris agreement and OECD in limiting global surface warming to 1.5-2°C as well as several binding EU directives and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We consider three types of actions to reduce the scale and impacts of climate change by protection and enhancement of natural carbon sinks: (1) reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, (2) protection of biota and ecosystems, and (3) manipulation of biological and ecological adaptation. The actions in category 1 aim to reduce atmospheric CO2 by binding carbon in seagrass ecosystems whereas actions in category 2&3 aim to reduce the risk of climate change impacts locally, either by reducing the locally experienced drivers warming and sea-level rise) and/or reducing the sensitivity of organisms and ecosystems to these drivers. By matching leading ecologists, biogeochemists, drone experts, big-data & artificial intelligence experts, environmental consultancies, a national park, a citizen science initiative and 3 SMEs we have created a highly interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral research-training network of academic and non academic participants with ambitious scientific goals and an innovative training program for ESRs.