New seagrass sculpture marks plans to restore 40 hectares of lost biodiversity on Humber estuary

NEW ARRIVAL: The seagrass sculpture and plastic bottle recycling station near The Deep

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Plans to restore 40 hectares of lost biodiversity to the Humber estuary have been marked with the installation of a new seagrass sculpture near The Deep.

The sculpture, which also serves as a plastic bottle recycling station, has been installed beside the Millenium footbridge which connects The Deep to Humber Street and other city centre links.

The woven sculpture has been funded by Wilder Humber, a partnership between energy company Ørsted and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire wildlife trusts.

Wilder Humber has an ambitious five-year plan to return 40 hectares of lost biodiversity to the estuary through sand dune, saltmarsh, seagrass, and native oyster restoration. The Deep supports Wilder Humber through “exhibition, education and interpretation of this important conservation action”, it said.

Emma Stothard, the artist behind the sculpture, was born in Hull but grew up in Kilnsea, a tiny village at the northern end of Spurn Point. Her work is often influenced by the wildlife she encountered in the countryside and around the Holderness coastline where she grew up. This particular sculpture represents a native seagrass species, Zostera noltii.

Emma said: “Creating SEAGRASS for The Deep was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate how important our seagrass meadows are. The sculpture represents the little bags of seeds that are planted in the Humber estuary, which over time grow to create swathes of seagrass meadows that capture carbon and restore vital feeding grounds.

VITAL RESOURCE: Seagrass seed collecting on the Humber bank. Picture credit: Finn Varney

“We too can help the environment by recycling our plastic bottles in SEAGRASS and at the same time learn a little bit more about this amazing plant.”

The Humber estuary once supported vast seagrass meadows across both banks, with records of dwarf seagrass covering over 500 hectares at Spurn Point, and vast swathes from Grimsby to Cleethorpes.

But because of industrialisation of the estuary, and subsequent decline in water quality, disease and “coastal squeeze”, the expansive seagrass beds were almost completely lost between the 1930s and 1980s.

RESTORING BIODIVERSITY: Planting seagrass at Spurn Point. Picture credit: Cate Holborn

Seagrass is the world’s only flowering plant capable of living in seawater and, globally, captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, accounting for 10-18 per cent of total ocean carbon storage despite covering less than 0.1 per cent of the seafloor.

Seagrass can also help protect our coast from damaging storms and erosion through dampening the force of waves and is very effective at removing pollutants from our waters.

In the UK, seagrass meadows are a vital habitat for marine life. They support biodiversity by providing essential nursery habitat for important fish species, such as bass and sand eel, and bird species including Brent geese.

Martin Slater, deputy chief executive at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is delighted to support the installation of the seagrass sculpture and recycling bin at The Deep as part of our Wilder Humber restoration project.

HAPPY IN OUR WORK: A Wilder Humber team planting seagrass. Picture credit: Cate Holborn

“Through the new sculpture, we hope to highlight the importance of healthy seagrass for our marine ecosystems, and raise awareness of seagrass in the Humber estuary both as a valuable habitat for marine species and as an incredible ally in the fight against climate change.”

Ben Jones, director of husbandry and exhibition at The Deep, said: “We are excited to announce the unveiling of the new seagrass sculpture and recycling station on our site, and look forward to seeing plenty of visitors and passers-by alike learning more about the important conservation action that is taking place on our doorstep.

“Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the oceans each year, which has a significant impact on our marine ecosystems. Together, we can work to change this shocking statistic and protect the environment by choosing to reduce the use of single-use plastic.”