Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and Lamma Island residents are restoring seagrass coverage to address a 60 percent decline over two decades and support local green sea turtle populations.
On a sunny July afternoon, the receding tide at Lamma Island revealed patches of seagrass. Scientists describe the plants as the ultimate underwater superheroes because they store carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
Seagrass coverage in local waters has fallen 60 percent over the past two decades. Government data show green sea turtle sightings dropped from 17 in 2019 to seven in 2025. Strandings declined from 16 in 2018 to two so far this year.
Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, said: “Seagrasses are the ultimate underwater superheroes.” He added that without them both the fight against climate disruption and coastal livelihoods would be threatened. The team is working with villagers to plant more seagrass.