Optimizing seed injection as a seagrass restoration method

Due to the major declines of seagrasses worldwide, there is an urgent need for effective restoration methods and strategies. In Dutch Wadden Sea, intertidal seagrass has proven very challenging, despite numerous trials with different methods. Recently, however, first field trial performed a newly developed “dispenser injection seeding” method (DIS) resulted in record-high plant densities seed recruitment. Here, we present further development methodology consequently improved results. During two consecutive growing seasons, honed seeding technique experimentally investigated how depth (2/4 cm), density (25/100 injects/m2), amount (2/20 seeds/inject) affected annual Zostera marina. We found that all variables had significant impact on establishment. Seeding deeper (4 cm) largest positive effect restored densities, while lowered (2 The optimized DIS method, combined altered placement hole, 50-fold increase (from approximately 1 57 plants/m2) simultaneous recruitment 0.3 11.4%). These improvements stem from method's ability counteract bottleneck, where seeds are lost through hydrodynamic forcing. methodological described here important steps toward restoring self-sustaining populations future our study demonstrates high potential seed-based restoration.