Global high-resolution mapping of seagrass to support conservation
Peng, J.; Li, J.; Krause, J.R.; Lyons, M.B.; Murray, N.J.; Schill, S.R.; Roelfsema, C.M.; Asner, G.P. (2026). Global high-resolution mapping of seagrass to support conservation. Nature (Lond.) 655(8123): 663-669. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10704-3
In: Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science. Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 0028-0836; e-ISSN 1476-4687, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Peng, J.
- Li, J.
- Krause, J.R.
- Lyons, M.B.
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- Murray, N.J.
- Schill, S.R.
- Roelfsema, C.M.
- Asner, G.P.
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| Abstract |
Seagrass ecosystems underpin coastal biodiversity1 and provide vital ecosystem services, including shoreline protection2, food security3 and climate mitigation4. Despite growing recognition as a nature-based climate solution, seagrasses are among the least mapped and most poorly understood vegetated coastal ecosystems5. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first global 10-m spatial resolution maps and change analysis of seagrass extent in clear, shallow coastal waters, derived from 4.75 million Sentinel-2 MSI satellite images for two periods (2019–2020 and 2023–2024). Using a deep-learning classifier trained on curated reference data, we identified 148,506 km2 of seagrass globally, including 5,961 km2 of intertidal and 142,545 km2 of subtidal areas. Sixty-nine per cent of global seagrass extent is concentrated in The Bahamas, Cuba, the USA, Australia and Indonesia, yet only 21% of seagrass areas are located within marine-protected areas. Over the 4 years of the study, 5,969 km2 (4%) of seagrass was lost, and an additional 6,221 km2 (4.2%) was degraded from dense to sparse cover in tropical regions. Our findings identify seagrass meadow hotspots and vulnerable regions to inform conservation and climate policy. |
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