THE recent heatwave nearly scuppered plans to recultivate the under-threat seagrass meadows at Cockburn Sound.

As part of the annual harvest, a mass of seagrass fruits were collected by divers and then painstakingly processed and sorted in huge tubs onshore.

The 600,000-odd seeds were then dispersed in Cockburn Sound, which has lost up to 80 per cent of its seagrass meadows from historical pollution and human activities. 

• Volunteers sorting, collecting and dispersing seagrass seeds to restore the marine habitat at Cockburn Sound.

The seagrass meadows are vital habitat for marine life – providing food, shelter and breeding grounds for a diverse range of species including the iconic WA snapper.

Despite the heatwave curtailing the harvest, known as Seeds for Snapper, enough was collected to restore about three hectares of seagrass meadows.

“This season we faced reduced fruit availability thanks to mother nature,” said Steve Pursell, WA OzFish project manager. 

“A warm November and a late heatwave sped up the ripening of the fruit. Some of the fruit was literally ripening and releasing seed as it was going into the tanks.

“The onshore team really stepped up to keep the tanks clean of fruit husks and prepare the seeds for dispersal.

“The volunteers were undeterred and achieved the second most successful year even though conditions weren’t as good as previous years.”

Mr Pursell says the harvest was the culmination of weeks of unpaid work by about 600 volunteers.

“We owe a tremendous thanks to all our volunteers from university students, retirees to families and individuals who flew in from places as far as New York,” he says. “Their dedication and hard work really make this project world class.”

Held annually since 2018, Seeds for Snapper is a long-standing partnership with the University of Western Australia, with support from Recfishwest and Cockburn Power Boats Club. For more information see ozfish.org.au.