Why seagrass could transform future food production
With rising sea levels, new possibilities open up for the cultivation of new grains, such as seagrass.
Published on May 15, 2025
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As sea levels rise, transforming landscapes into seawater-influenced areas, innovative solutions emerge to utilize these environments sustainably. Radboud University environmental scientist Marieke van Katwijk argues that seagrass, specifically Zostera marina, presents an opportunity for future food production as a potential replacement for traditional grains in bread making.
Given that seawater will find its way into many coastal areas, these new landscapes could still be used for growing food. Known historically among the Seri people of Mexico, seagrass offers numerous advantages: it requires no fresh water, fertilizers, or pesticides, and it even contributes to carbon sequestration. These attributes make it not only an environmentally friendly choice but also a potentially lucrative one, with yields potentially reaching 3-7% of global rice production.
According to the scientist, who published an article in the scientific journal Ambio, the Netherlands is well-positioned to lead the cultivation of seagrass. The deep expertise in coastal engineering and plant breeding is key to creating these grain fields.
The benefits of seagrass cultivation
Seagrass meadows, similar to coral reefs, provide a rich habitat that supports biodiversity, while purifying surrounding waters and serving as carbon sinks. A recent global study emphasizes that conserving vegetated coastal ecosystems could prevent the release of 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon, highlighting the critical role of seagrass in climate change mitigation. Moreover, seagrass mariculture offers the potential for zero-carbon emissions during cultivation and helps in coastal protection through sediment accretion.
Harvesting Zostera marina is non-disruptive to the ecosystem as seeds are located above the sediment, with the buoyant seed-bearing shoots facilitating easy harvesting and transport. Seagrass can also follow annual or perennial growth strategies, and has high adaptability and resistance to different conditions, such as water level and temperature variations.
Van Katwijk: “In addition, similar to coral reefs, it will create a rich habitat for other organisms such as young fish and invertebrates. What's more, the detached leaves at the end of the growing season can, for example, be used as insulation material.”
Innovative uses and challenges
Yet, seagrass cultivation still presents significant challenges. These include the need for technological advancements in seed production and the careful balance required to avoid depleting wild stocks. These challenges necessitate global collaboration across disciplines and commitment from local communities to ensure sustainable implementation and integration into the blue economy.
“How are we going to shape such a new investment model and the regulations? We need to start thinking about that now. Technologically, there is also a lot of work to be done: seed production is still very low in most parts of the world. We also don't yet know how to grow it on a large scale, but we are actively working on this in the Netherlands and elsewhere,” concludes the scientist.
