Blue Carbon | Seagrasses in coastal wetlands of the Algarve region article (2025)
- FAM Foundation
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
New Mapping Study Reveals Alarming Seagrass Decline in Algarve Wetlands.
A pioneering scientific effort led by researchers from the Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) at the University of Algarve has delivered the most comprehensive update in over a decade on the state of seagrass meadows across four protected coastal wetlands in southern Portugal. Published in the Journal of Sea Research, the study highlights both progress and critical concerns for marine ecosystem conservation in the region.
Using a combination of manual mapping and machine learning techniques, the project mapped the current distribution of seagrasses in the Ria Formosa lagoon, Guadiana estuary, Ria de Alvor, and Arade estuary. Findings indicate that 99% of the total 1,230 hectares of seagrass in the Algarve are concentrated in the Ria Formosa, with an alarming disappearance of meadows in the Arade and Alvor estuaries.
Despite technological advances and accurate mapping—demonstrated by an 82.6% model accuracy—the study also estimates a 20% regional decline in seagrass cover compared to data from the early 2000s. This reduction not only threatens biodiversity but also compromises key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, coastal protection, and fish nursery habitats.
Encouragingly, there has been a modest recovery in the Guadiana estuary, where seagrass cover increased from 5.4 to 11 hectares over the past decade. Yet, researchers warn that ongoing threats like water pollution, invasive algae, aquaculture expansion, and climate-induced sea level rise could further endanger these vital habitats without urgent management interventions.
FAM Foundation, through its 2023–2024 Grant Awards, provided critical funding for this project under the Blue Carbon Initiative. The Foundation’s support enabled high-resolution mapping and data integration essential for informing conservation policy. This initiative exemplifies FAM’s commitment to advancing marine research that directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
FAM Foundation is committed with the sustainable development goals, Blue Carbon in Algarve project impact the following SGD's.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
