Sydney Airport Backs Five-Year Seagrass Restoration Project in Botany Bay

Sydney Airport has committed AUD 576,000 over five years to support a seagrass restoration initiative in Botany Bay (Gamay), aimed at restoring habitats for the endangered Posidonia australis seagrass species.

Sydney Airport Invests AUD 576,000 in Five-Year Seagrass Restoration Project in Botany Bay

The project is being delivered through a partnership involving the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Gamay Rangers, an Indigenous ranger team from the La Perouse Aboriginal community.

According to project partners, seagrass meadows in Botany Bay have experienced significant decline over recent decades, with factors such as coastal development and changes in water quality identified as possible contributors. The initiative seeks to restore sections of the bay’s seagrass habitat through scientific research, environmental monitoring and community participation.

UNSW Professor Adriana Vergés is leading the restoration program, which involves collecting naturally detached seagrass fragments that wash ashore around Botany Bay. The fragments are maintained in holding facilities before being replanted in selected areas of the bay. Divers will conduct the planting work, followed by monitoring at regular intervals to assess survival rates and habitat recovery.

The Sydney Desalination Plant is providing holding facilities for the project through in-kind support.

Researchers will also examine the role of restored seagrass meadows in carbon storage and ecosystem recovery. Early stages of the program will focus on identifying locations suitable for long-term restoration efforts across the bay.

Seagrass meadows provide habitat for marine species, contribute to water quality and help stabilize coastal sediments. They are also recognized for their ability to store carbon in seabed ecosystems.

The Gamay Rangers will participate in replanting activities and environmental monitoring, contributing Traditional Owner knowledge to the restoration process. Established in 2019, the ranger group works across coastal areas of Sydney to support environmental and cultural management initiatives.

The partnership was launched at Silver Beach in Kurnell, where previous seagrass restoration work has already been undertaken as part of broader UNSW research efforts.

Community engagement forms part of the project, with local residents expected to assist in collecting seagrass fragments that wash up on beaches around the bay. Education programs and citizen science activities coordinated by SIMS will also involve schools and community groups in the restoration effort.

Students from Kurnell Public School recently participated in learning activities at Silver Beach as part of the project’s launch, providing an introduction to local marine conservation and restoration work.

Project partners said the initiative is intended to support ongoing restoration of seagrass habitats in Botany Bay while generating data and community participation that could inform future coastal ecosystem management efforts.