MACAN hosted the webinar "Seagrasses in the Mid-Atlantic: Restoration Efforts and Blue Carbon Potential" featuring Cassie Gurbisz (St. Mary’s College of Maryland) and Jill Bieri (The Nature Conservancy Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve) on June 16, 2025. Watch the recording below to learn about seagrass restoration efforts, the role of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in carbon and nutrient cycling, and the potential of seagrass restoration projects for carbon accreditation. 

SAV beds are often thought of as carbon sinks because they convert CO2 to organic carbon, which is then buried in the sediments. However, SAV can also affect the aquatic carbonate system in ways that could either offset or enhance carbon sequestration. Gurbisz discussed an ongoing project that aims to quantify SAV bed effects on the carbonate system in Chesapeake Bay.

Bieri introduced viewers to the largest, most successful seagrass restoration on the planet -- over 10,000 acres of restored eelgrass meadows in Virginia’s Atlantic coastal bays -- now home to the world’s first registered blue carbon seagrass project. This project demonstrates a “proof of concept” on quantifying the benefits of seagrass restoration and how it contributes to long-term restoration and conservation. This project’s success provides lessons learned and paves the way for seagrass projects across the globe, hopefully increasing the pace and scale of this critical work.