Pedro Coelho, researcher at CESAM/DBIO, was one of the guests featured in episode 22 of the LIFE Portugal Podcast, entitled “The Nature of LIFE: (Bio)diversity in Action”. This initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), highlights projects funded under the LIFE Programme and their contribution to nature conservation in Portugal.
During the discussion, the researcher presented the LIFE SeagrassRiaWild project, an ecological restoration initiative focused on the large-scale reintroduction of seagrass meadows (Zostera marina) in the Ria de Aveiro, a habitat that has virtually disappeared from this lagoon system over recent decades. The project adopts an innovative approach based on the development of seagrass mariculture, enabling the production of plant material for restoration without impacting the small natural patches that still persist in the system.
Throughout the episode, Pedro Coelho explained how the nature-based solutions developed within the project framework can contribute not only to the recovery of seagrass meadows but also to addressing key management challenges in the Ria de Aveiro, particularly the maintenance of navigable channels, thereby reducing the need for dredging operations and their associated environmental impacts.
Another key aspect highlighted was the continuity of restoration actions beyond the project’s lifetime. The seagrass nursery established under the LIFE SeagrassRiaWild project will constitute a lasting legacy and will be made available, in collaboration with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), and other partners, to support future ecological restoration actions in the Ria de Aveiro and their replication in other systems. The ongoing involvement of stakeholders, as well as local communities and volunteers, is also considered essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of these initiatives.
Pedro Coelho’s participation in this podcast reinforces the role of CESAM/DBIO in the development of innovative scientific solutions for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.
LIFE Portugal Podcast | Episode 22 – “The Nature of LIFE: (bio)diversity in Action” – available here.
Image credit: 90 Segundos de Ciência