Seagrass meadows are disappearing worldwide, putting many marine species at risk. In Florida, two graduate students from the University of Central Florida (UCF) are working on new ways to conserve seagrass with support from faculty members Linda Walters and Robert Fitak. Their efforts are among eight projects funded by the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative, which was established in 2023 by the Florida Legislature and governor through the Department of Environmental Protection. The initiative is led by Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and focuses on developing restoration technologies that address both ecological and economic impacts of seagrass loss across Florida.
“Seagrasses around the globe, including in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, have been decimated in recent decades,” says Walters, who is also director of UCF’s Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab (CEELAB). “The effects rippled through the ecosystem and are tragically evidenced by the large number of manatees that died of starvation when no seagrass was present.”
UCF biology student Luciana Banquero ’22 is leading a project with partners including Brevard Zoo, Florida Institute of Technology, and UCF’s Aquatic Biogeochemistry lab under Lisa Chambers. The research examines how sediment quality, nutrient levels, and competition between species affect shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) restoration.
“With colleagues at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Lausanne, this project is sequencing genomic DNA of seagrass-associated microbes, comparing how these communities differ between nursery-grown shoal grass and the natural population in the Indian River Lagoon,” Banquero says.
Banquero explains that her work combines field trials with laboratory experiments to identify conditions that help seagrass establish itself for long-term survival. She also notes that samples from her collaborators will be added to Mote Marine Laboratory’s genetic library for future studies on resilience.
Her research was motivated by algal bloom events in Florida. She studies sediment quality at planting sites in Brevard County’s Indian River Lagoon and Banana River.
“Algal bloom events can trigger changes in these macroalgal communities, causing native seaweed (Caulerpa prolifera) to dominate the sediment floor and prevent seagrass growth,” Banquero says. “By studying sediment quality and the conditions in which seagrass is planted, we can better understand the complexity of coastal ecosystems and support successful plantings and conservation of these species.”
Researchers have suspected that Caulerpa algae competes with shoal grass but lack large-scale empirical studies or controlled trials to test this idea. Banquero’s project aims to fill this gap.
Walters has studied Caulerpa for over 20 years: “Interactions occur at many levels — from chemicals released by roots to damage from herbivorous fish or boats — and we need to consider all of these factors to get the full story,” she says. “This project will study those interactions and clarify whether Caulerpa is harmful and should be removed or avoided when planting seagrass for restoration.”
Another UCF graduate student, Carla Perscky, leads a project focused on thermo-priming—a method aimed at increasing thermal tolerance in shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima). This approach uses heat stress exposure to help plants adapt to higher temperatures.
“Our goal is to understand how rising seawater temperatures cause these plants to decline and identify adaptation mechanisms that can help make them more resilient,” Perscky says.
Her team uses molecular tools such as transcriptomics along with satellite data from NOAA combined with field data to track seawater temperature trends affecting experimental design.
“We are using novel technologies, including molecular tools such as transcriptomics, which help identify biomarkers linked to stress memory,” she says. “As well as satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), combined with on-site field data, to track seawater temperatures and detect marine heatwave trends that inform the experimental design.”
Experiments take place at Mote’s facility where plants experience artificial marine heatwaves; open-source models analyze environmental trends for predictions about future survival rates.
“Thermal priming is not a new technique,” Perscky says. “It’s been used in crops like corn and in coral reefs. When plants and organisms face a second heat event, they remember the first exposure and adapt.”
Fitak compares this process to vaccination: “You expose a young plant to a mini version of marine heat and its system remembers the trigger,” he says. “As adult plants, they become more tolerant for when the real exposure occurs.”
If effective locally, this method could benefit other regions globally where seagrasses face similar threats due to warming waters.
“This knowledge could guide how seagrass is planted in nurseries across the state and beyond,” Perscky says. “In places like Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River where water stays warmer because it’s regulated by wind rather than tide—seagrass planted there could be more tolerant.”
Walters adds: “If we can restore areas with native thermally primed seagrass it should be more resilient to future heat events…We are aiming to create ‘super seagrass,’ similar to efforts with ‘super corals’ that can tolerate higher temperatures than they currently do.”
Both students highlight partnerships as crucial for their work:
“Seagrass restoration is highly experimental and requires significant resources,” Banquero says. “Collaborating with scientists with different expertise…and leveraging their long-term knowledge…has enabled me to carry out my project.”
Fitak notes: “This project is a great example of how science is done…Carla is collaborating…because no one is an expert of everything.”
Community involvement also plays an important role; local volunteers assist monitoring sites while students gain hands-on experience through collaborations like those with Mote Marine Laboratory.
“It’s been rewarding…to connect with people directly impacted by our work,” Banquero shares.
Perscky agrees: partnering provides opportunities for engagement while highlighting challenges facing coastal environments—and offers solutions designed for lasting impact:
“People love seeing healthy seagrass beds…and biodiversity they support like manatees,” Fitak states.”Communities want…restoration…Our goal…is [for] vital ecosystems [to] thrive.”
Walters emphasizes broader significance: “The outcomes…will not only help improve health…but build on current knowledge…provide practical methods…[for] practitioners…conserve estuaries around globe…I deeply care about this lagoon…and all our efforts aim…[so] it remains magical…”
Fitak holds a doctorate in genetics from University of Arizona; he joined UCF’s Department of Biology after postdoctoral positions abroad including Vienna’s Institute for Population Genetics. Walters has led CEELAB since joining UCF in 1997; she has secured substantial grant funding over her career supporting research connecting students directly with conservation practice.
