Imagine diving into the cool waters off the northern coast of Germany. You’re not on a recreational dive, but rather, you’re armed with hand trowels, carefully tending to emerald green seagrass shoots. These underwater meadows, often overlooked, have a crucial role to play in the fight against climate change. Seagrass meadows are like hidden treasures beneath the waves. They act as natural carbon sinks, storing vast amounts of carbon, which helps combat climate change. However, these meadows have been dwindling over the past century due to deteriorating water quality, a problem that scientists are deeply concerned about. Lea Verfondern, a 21-year-old veterinary assistant, and one of the first citizens to attend a unique training program in July. Lea and others like her have donned full wet suits and taken up the cause of restoring seagrass in the Baltic Sea. They believe that everyone should contribute to environmental protection because it impacts us all.

Seagrasses are climate heroes. A 2012 study revealed that they can store over twice as much carbon from carbon dioxide (CO2) per square mile as forests on land. These incredible plants also support fisheries and shield coastlines from erosion. Europe has faced a significant loss of seagrass areas over the years. According to a 2019 study, approximately one-third of Europe’s seagrass areas disappeared between the 1860s and 2016. This decline not only affects the seagrass but also releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, hastening global warming. While there are global initiatives to restore seagrass ecosystems, the SeaStore Seagrass Restoration Project in Kiel stands out. It’s one of the first initiatives empowering citizens to take action. Lea Verfondern and her fellow divers, along with volunteers on land, have planted around 2,500 seagrass plants during a weekend course in July, marking a significant step towards re-greening the Baltic Sea.

Angela Stevenson, a postdoctoral researcher at GEOMAR, leads this Baltic Sea seagrass initiative. Through her work, she discovered that seagrass shoots are more resilient than seeds. Her training course combines online presentations with hands-on experience to accelerate the planting process. Maritime conservation group Sea Shepherd played a crucial role in recruiting the first volunteers, providing essential support such as equipment, sustenance, shelter, and permits. The team’s ultimate goal is to scale up this initiative after the pilot period, aiming to rejuvenate the entire Baltic Sea. Volunteer Martin Lampe, a 52-year-old IT technician, reflects on how the Baltic Sea has changed since his diving days as a youth. He believes that collective efforts can indeed make a difference. GEOMAR team faces challenges, such as seagrass’s resilience to rising temperatures. They are exploring the possibility of breeding heat-resistant strains and experimenting with seabed planting, a potentially less labor-intensive restoration method.

To give you an idea of the scale, it would take half a million divers working 12-hour days for an entire year to fully restore the lost seagrass in the Baltic Sea along Germany’s coast. Yet, even with these efforts, it would only make a small dent in Germany’s carbon emissions. Angela Stevenson emphasizes the importance of harnessing nature-based solutions for carbon storage. If nature provides us with a way to combat climate change, it only makes sense to embrace it wholeheartedly.

The story of citizen divers in the Baltic Sea is a testament to the power of collective action in the face of environmental challenges. Their underwater gardening efforts serve as a shining example of how individuals can come together to combat climate change, one seagrass shoot at a time.

Photography and reporting by Lisi Niesner, and Sarah Marsh. July 26, 2023, 10 a.m. GMT. In Baltic Sea, citizen divers restore seagrass to fight climate change.