Volunteers and conservationists have been gathering seagrass seeds along the Solent coast near Southampton in an effort to restore Britain's badly depleted seagrass meadows, which play a significant role in absorbing carbon dioxide and supporting marine life. The early-morning harvest, timed to an exceptionally low tide, forms part of a wider restoration effort, as seagrass can absorb up to 35 times more carbon than an equivalent area of tropical rainforest while also providing habitat for thousands of marine species.

About 20 volunteers joined the pre-dawn search at Calshot Beach, led by Tim Ferrero of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, sifting by hand and touch for spathes, the pod-like structures containing seagrass seeds. The UK has lost more than 90% of its seagrass meadows over the past century due to disease, disturbance and pollution. Once collected, the seeds are transported in seawater to the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Marine Sciences, where they undergo a process to separate them from the stems before eventually being replanted to help regenerate meadows elsewhere.