TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Seagrass restoration is gaining momentum in Taiwan as scientists race to rebuild disappearing underwater meadows, CNA reported Thursday.

According to the UN, about 30% of the world’s seagrass has disappeared. The marine plant serves as a nursery and feeding ground for many species and stores large amounts of carbon, making it a key natural carbon sink.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute began experimental seagrass restoration in Penghu in 2014. To secure a stable supply of seedlings, researchers have established seed banks in Penghu and southwestern Taiwan while working with academia, government agencies, and private companies to expand restoration.

Penghu Fishery Research Center technician Hsien I-le (冼宜樂) said seagrass beds in Chenhai Bay have shrunk from 113 hectares to less than 40 hectares over the past 80 years. Only about 1 hectare has been restored so far, far slower than the pace of loss.

Hsien said large-scale restoration depends on a reliable supply of seedlings, making seed banks essential. Transplanting seagrass from natural beds can only be done on a limited scale and must avoid damaging ecosystems.

In Penghu, researchers have transplanted seagrass to sites such as Tongliang Village and Hujing Harbor, where it will serve as a source for restoration. Another seed bank in an abandoned fish pond in Gangzi Village is expected to begin supplying seedlings this year and could produce about 6 million annually within three years.

Restoration work is also expanding on Taiwan’s main island. In July, Liu Shang-yin (劉商隱), a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, launched a project in Tainan’s Qigu District to cultivate and restore Halophila beccarii. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as vulnerable.

Liu said traditional transplantation often resembles “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” as plants are moved from one place to another without increasing overall coverage. His team instead built a nursery where small numbers of wild plants can multiply before being transplanted back into natural habitats.

Still, restoration remains difficult, with typhoons and heavy rain threatening fragile seagrass ecosystems. Liu said progress will depend on community participation and better data on how seagrass species grow in Taiwan’s climate.