The Seagrass of Salthill, HOPE
The Seagrass of Salthill, HOPE — and the Importance of Explore Your Shore!
One of the wonderful things about taking part in Explore Your Shore!—aside from the chance to capture amazing photos and videos, enjoy exercise and fresh air, and help protect marine life by submitting records—is the unexpected discoveries you can make. Sometimes, what you record today becomes even more interesting years later.
A Surprising Discovery
Early this year, during one of our Explore Your Shore! events, we noticed a patch of green on Grattan Beach, Salthill. Our hearts raced—could it really be? Upon closer inspection, we were delighted to find a healthy patch of seagrass, or eelgrass (nolti sp). Watch on YouTube
Pessimistic or hopeful?
You can tell we were hesitant about the ‘patches’, as in 2023, we found this isolated plant on Grattan too, and you can tell it was already dying.
The Next Discovery
Weeks later, during another public Explore Your Shore! event, one of the participants, Molly Cullina, shouted excitedly, “I found seagrass!” Sure enough, a second patch was discovered—another promising sign.
Surviving the Storms
Before the winter storms arrived, we kept a close eye on the seagrass. The patches looked healthy, but we worried the rough weather would wipe them out.
However, as of Saturday, November 8th, both patches were still there—healthy and thriving! Even more exciting, we discovered a third patch on Grattan Beach, Salthill, Galway City.
All of these findings were recorded through Explore Your Shore!, and while our surveying may slow down during the colder months, we’re eager to return in 2026 to check on their progress.
Why Is This Important?
Seagrass is one of the most valuable—and threatened—habitats on Earth. It provides a host of ecosystem services that benefit both marine life and people:
“Seagrass benefits humans by acting as a natural coastal defence, improving water quality, supporting fisheries, and fighting climate change through carbon sequestration. They stabilise shorelines by reducing wave energy, filter excess nutrients to prevent harmful algal blooms, provide essential food and shelter for marine life, and store large amounts of carbon dioxide known as ‘blue carbon.’”
Given ongoing challenges like climate change, water quality issues, and ocean acidification, every new patch of seagrass represents hope—and a reason to protect our coastal ecosystems.
Citizen Science Makes It Possible
Discoveries like this are only possible through citizen science initiatives such as Explore Your Shore!, part of Ireland’s Marine Biodiversity Citizen Science Platform.
Special thanks to Seasearch Ireland and Tony O’Callaghan, Seasearch Ireland Coordinator, for their incredible underwater research, species identification, and photos from Galway Bay.
And huge appreciation to Dave Wall and the Explore Your Shore! team for their continued advocacy, support, and encouragement in connecting people, data, and discoveries.
Their work highlights just how powerful supporting community participation can be when it comes to understanding and protecting our marine environments.
Looking Ahead
We’re already looking forward to 2026—with new discoveries (Grattan is different every day), shared experiences, and more opportunities to protect the natural beauty of our shores.
You can get involved too! Become an Explore Your Shore! Champion and start your own discoveries today: https://exploreyourshore.ie/
Seasearch IRL
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