Seagrass meadows in Australia are under growing pressure from climate change, including marine heatwaves, cyclones, and flooding. These ecosystems store large amounts of carbon, support fisheries, and stabilize coastlines. A major die-off in Shark Bay after the 2010-2011 heatwave released up to 9 million metric tons of CO2, showing how fragile these carbon sinks can be. Restoration efforts are underway but face challenges from more frequent extreme weather events. Australia hosts about half of the world's seagrass species and around 11% of global seagrass area lies in the Great Barrier Reef region. Since the 1950s, Australia has lost roughly 1.6 million hectares of seagrass. Conservationists are now working on large scale restoration projects, aiming to make the process as routine as seeding a lawn. The health of these meadows is directly tied to fisheries, carbon storage, and coastal protection.
