Seagrass cover and composition & Macroalgae canopy cover and composition

This session focuses on the seagrass cover and composition and the macroalgae canopy cover and composition BioEco Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs).

Seagrass meadows are biodiversity hotspots, natural coastal protectors, and powerful carbon sinks – yet they remain under-observed on a global scale. Recognised by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) as an EOV, Seagrass Cover and Composition provide vital insights into ocean health, ecosystem resilience, and climate mitigation. Standardised monitoring of this EOV, through in-water surveys and remote sensing, enables reliable, comparable data from local to global scales. Such observations not only track change in real time but also guide conservation strategies, inform policy, and strengthen sustainable coastal management. This webinar introduces the Seagrass EOV, highlights its scientific and societal importance, and showcases how coordinated monitoring efforts connect local action to global solutions. 

Macroalgal forests cover rocky reefs in temperate and cold waters worldwide. These habitats maintain diverse and productive coastal environments and sustain artisanal fisheries providing key services for human wellbeing. Macroalgal canopy cover and composition is the EOV designed to assess the status of macroalgal forests using standardised observing methods. This webinar will explain the EOV’s purpose, implementation through specification sheets, potential integration with current observing programs, and how new technologies like environmental DNA and AI imaging enhance monitoring of macroalgal forest biodiversity. The webinar also highlights the importance of articulating clear hypotheses and appropriate sampling design to generate interpretable data from the EOV and to identify the key drivers of change.

Watch the webinar to discover how seagrass and macroalgae data can help safeguard both marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. 

The webinar series is hosted by The Atlantic International Research Centre and co-organised by GOOS.