SeaGrow Coral Sea Marina Resort

As part of the Reef Islands Initiative—a 10-year program to create climate refuges and protect vital habitats on Great Barrier Reef islands—we’ve established a floating seagrass nursery, right on the Coral Sea Marina!

This innovative nursery uses aquaria to grow seagrass plants and collect seeds to help restore damaged seagrass meadows in nearby Pioneer Bay. With help from the local community, we collect seagrass flowers between August and November, store them in the nursery, and wait for the seeds to naturally drop out. These seeds are then used to restore areas of the bay where seagrass is struggling to recover.

Over time, this nursery will produce millions of seeds, supporting one of the first large-scale seagrass restoration projects in the region.

Why Seagrass Matters

Seagrass meadows are a vital part of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. They:

• Filter nutrients and sediments from land-based runoff
• Provide nursery habitat for fish and shellfish
• Are the main food source for turtles and dugongs (you can even see their feeding trails)
• Help fight climate change by capturing and storing carbon

But these meadows are under threat from storm damage, anchor scarring, sediment runoff, and prolonged La Niña conditions—leading to widespread loss. Without support, natural recovery is slow and uncertain. That’s why we’re taking action—growing seagrass, one seed at a time—to restore and protect these underwater meadows for future generations. 

Coral Sea Marina Resort is proud to support this project by providing this location for the nursery site, as well as delivering opportunity for community engagement and education through the Coral Sea Academy. For more information on how you can get involved in the project, visit the Coral Sea Academy website.