Seagrass flower collection volunteers wanted
If you’ve got a passion for the ocean, then CQUniversity Gladstone’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) wants to hear from you.
Volunteers, young and old are being encouraged to put their hands up to take part in upcoming community seagrass flower collection days sponsored by Santos GLNG.
“Seagrass is incredibly important,” CMERC Director Professor Emma Jackson said.
“It supports diverse ecosystems, provides vital habitats for marine life and plays a crucial role in coastal protection and climate mitigation.”
With multiple pressures affecting the health of seagrass ecosystems, including those in Gladstone Harbour, community volunteers are needed to take part in collection days to help CMERC researchers collect seagrass flowers to progress global seagrass research and restore local seagrass meadows.
“We will be collecting seagrass flowers to obtain seeds for experiments aimed at optimising seed transition into resilient adult plants, increasing seagrass abundance and genetic variability in our SeaGrow Seagrass Nurseries, and conducting restoration experiments to investigate how to upscale and increase the effectiveness of current seagrass restoration methods,” Prof Jackson said.
“This will also assist us in restoring a local seagrass meadow at Pelican Banks, south-east of Curtis Island.”
Prof Jackson said a new partnership with Santos GLNG meant CMERC was able to offer additional collection days in 2025, including September 6 and October 6 for Gladstone Region community members to take part in, free of charge.
“CMERC has strong links with local industry, and we really appreciate the commitment Santos GLNG has shown in entering a three-year partnership with our centre to support our work to develop practical and sustainable solutions for our unique coastal and marine environments,” she said.
“Their support means we can cover expenses associated with these collection days – such as boat hire and research assistants – and focus on engaging community members to take an active role in protecting the health of our harbour and coastal waterways.”
Prof Jackson said the collection days were a great day out and an opportunity for young people to learn about the importance of seagrass meadows in inter-tidal marine habitats.
“We really encourage family participation in these events,” she said.
“We love to see young people taking part in the flower collection and developing a passion for marine habitat restoration – education is key to helping to grow our future generations of marine ecologists.”
Follow the links below to register to take part in the upcoming CMERC Community Seagrass Flower Collection Days:
- September: Gladstone Seagrass Flower Collection - CQUniversity
- October: Gladstone Seagrass Flower Collection - CQUniversity
CMERC's seagrass flower collections are part of CMERC's SeaGrow Research Program, funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and in collaboration with partners.
Find more information on the CMERC website.
