Biology Researchers Lead Technology-Driven Seagrass Restoration Projects in Florida

Seagrass meadows are rapidly vanishing across the world, threatening animal species that rely on this vital coastal ecosystem for survival.

Two UCF biology graduate students are leading projects developing innovative solutions for conserving seagrass species in Florida, with support from Pegasus Professor of Biology Linda Walters and Assistant Professor of Biology and Genomics and Bioinformatics faculty cluster member Robert Fitak. Their projects are among eight selected for funding through the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative.

The initiative was created in 2023 by the Florida Legislature and governor through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium leading the effort. It aims to support restoration technologies and approaches that address seagrass loss and its widespread ecological and economic impacts on communities across Florida.

"Seagrasses around the globe, including in Florida's Indian River Lagoon, have been decimated in recent decades," says Walters, who is also director of UCF's Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab (CEELAB). "The effects rippled through the ecosystem and are tragically evidenced by the large number of manatees that died of starvation when no seagrass was present."

Luciana Banquero (front) and collaborators from Brevard Zoo monitor an experimental seagrass planting area in the Banana River, collecting data on seagrass and macroalgae abundance. (Photo courtesy of Luciana Banquero)

In partnership with Brevard Zoo, Florida Institute of Technology, UCF's Aquatic Biogeochemistry lab led by biology professor Lisa Chambers and under Walters' guidance, UCF biology student Luciana Banquero '22 is examining how sediment quality, nutrient levels, and interspecies competition influence the success of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) restoration.

In partnership with Brevard Zoo, Florida Institute of Technology, UCF's Aquatic Biogeochemistry lab led by biology professor Lisa Chambers and under Walters' guidance, UCF biology student Luciana Banquero '22 is examining how sediment quality, nutrient levels, and interspecies competition influence the success of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) restoration.

"With colleagues at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Lausanne, this project is sequencing genomic DNA of seagrass-associated microbes, comparing how these communities differ between nursery-grown shoal grass and the natural population in the Indian River Lagoon," Banquero says.

Banquero, who is in her second year on the project, says seagrass meadows provide essential habitat and food for countless marine species and are critical not just in Florida but wherever seagrass is found.

"By combining field trials and laboratory experiments, I aim to identify the conditions that promote seagrass establishment and long-term survival, improve restoration outcomes, and better understand how planted seagrass interacts with other macroalgal communities," Banquero says. "Additionally, my collaborators are contributing samples to Mote Marine Laboratory's seagrass genetic library, which will be used to study seagrass resilience and diversity at the molecular level."

Her research, inspired by recent algal bloom events in Florida, analyzes the sediment quality at shoal grass planting sites in Brevard County's Indian River Lagoon and Banana River.

"Algal bloom events can trigger changes in these macroalgal communities, causing native seaweed (Caulerpa prolifera) to dominate the sediment floor and prevent seagrass growth," Banquero says. "By studying sediment quality and the conditions in which seagrass is planted, we can better understand the complexity of coastal ecosystems and support successful plantings and conservation of these species."

According to Banquero, researchers have long suspected a competitive dynamic between Caulerpa algae and shoal grass, suggesting that shoal grass tends to perform poorly when the alga is growing nearby. However, no large-scale empirical studies across multiple sites or controlled laboratory trials have been conducted to challenge those long-held assumptions that have guided conservation efforts. Her research aims to fill that gap.

Walters, who has studied the seaweed genus Caulerpa on and off for more than 20 years, notes that members of this genus can be highly invasive and produce noxious secondary chemicals.

"Interactions occur at many levels - from chemicals released by roots to damage from herbivorous fish or boats - and we need to consider all of these factors to get the full story," Walters says. "This project will study those interactions and clarify whether Caulerpa is harmful and should be removed or avoided when planting seagrass for restoration."

Seeds of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii, left) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima, right), are two focal species of this restoration initiative. Shoal grass was confirmed in 2023 to reproduce sexually as well as clonally - spreading both by seeds and genetically identical shoots - while widgeon grass produces seeds and flowers most of the year. These findings have important implications for restoration. (Photos courtesy of Carla Perscky [left] and Seagrass Wrack Collection [right])Complementary to this work, biology graduate student Carla Perscky is leading a project on thermo-priming, a novel technique to enhance thermal tolerance of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima). This project was inspired by her discovery of Halodule wrightii seeds during a marine heatwave event and recent research in terrestrial and aquatic plants showing that exposure to sub-lethal stress can enhance future resilience.

In collaboration with Fitak, Mote, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), St. John's River Water Management District and Bethune-Cookman College, the team will identify heat resilience mechanisms at the molecular level and develop practical guidance for restoration in heat-prone environments.

"Our goal is to understand how rising seawater temperatures cause these plants to decline and identify adaptation mechanisms that can help make them more resilient," Perscky says.

Graduate student Carla Perscky and her team discovered microscopic seeds and flowers by collecting fragments that wash up along the shoreline in the Indian River Lagoon. (Photo courtesy of P. Sacks)

Her work tests whether exposing seagrass to heat stress in a controlled environment can help plants adapt and pass resilience on to future generations.

"We are using novel technologies, including molecular tools such as transcriptomics, which help identify biomarkers linked to stress memory," she says. "As well as satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), combined with on-site field data, to track seawater temperatures and detect marine heatwave trends that inform the experimental design."

To test their hypothesis, Perscky's team will conduct aquarium experiments that replicate ocean extremes at Mote's state-of-the-art facility, where plants will be exposed to artificial marine heatwaves to prime them for survival, while open-source data models analyze decades of environmental trends to predict seagrass survival under future climate conditions.

"Thermal priming is not a new technique," Perscky says. "It's been used in crops like corn and in coral reefs. When plants and organisms face a second heat event, they remember the first exposure and adapt."

Fitak, who specializes in genomics, compared the adaptation process to vaccination.

"You expose a young plant to a mini version of marine heat and its system remembers the trigger," Fitak says. "As adult plants, they become more tolerant for when the real exposure occurs."

If successful, the approach could be applied not only in Florida but to other seagrasses around the world.

"This knowledge could guide how seagrass is planted in nurseries across the state and beyond," Perscky says. "In places like Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River, where water stays warmer because it's regulated by wind rather than tide, seagrass planted there could be more tolerant."

Walters adds more insight on this approach, which is currently undergoing testing on corals with success in some species in some locations.

"If we can restore areas with native, thermally primed seagrass, it should be more resilient to future heat events," she says. "We are aiming to create 'super seagrass,' similar to efforts with 'super corals' that can tolerate higher temperatures than they currently do."

Perscky and Banquero cited the importance of partnerships in making their work possible.

"Seagrass restoration is highly experimental and requires significant resources," Banquero says. "Collaborating with scientists with different expertise and leveraging their long-term knowledge of Florida's coastal ecosystems has enabled me to carry out my project."

Fitak also noted the multidisciplinary nature of the projects.

"This project is a great example of how science is done in an interdisciplinary way," he says. "Carla is collaborating with researchers from Mote, FWC, and other agencies, along with Dr. Walters and me, because no one is an expert of everything."

Beyond environmental impacts, student and community involvement is key to the success of these projects. Banquero has been planting seagrass in macroalgal beds in Brevard County, with local volunteers helping monitor the sites.

"It's been rewarding to hear their perspectives on why protecting these ecosystems matters and to connect with people directly impacted by our work," she says.

Similarly, Perscky says partnering with Mote has given students and volunteers hands-on opportunities in seagrass monitoring.

Both projects highlight the challenges facing coastal environments and provide tools to help conserve seagrass beds now and in the future with Fitak emphasizing the importance of community support.

"People love seeing healthy seagrass beds and the biodiversity they support, like manatees," he says. "Communities want to support restoration, but failed plantings can be discouraging. Our goal is to make restoration effective and resilient so these vital ecosystems thrive."

While the projects are focused in Florida, Walters points to the broader significance of the work.

"The outcomes of these projects will not only help improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon, but also build on current knowledge and provide practical methods for restoration practitioners to conserve and protect estuaries around the globe," she says. "I deeply care about this lagoon, and all our efforts aim to improve restoration and resilience so it remains the magical place we know it is well into the future."

Researchers' Credentials
Fitak is an assistant professor in UCF's Department of Biology in the College of Sciences. He received his doctorate in genetics from the University of Arizona and his bachelor's in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University. Before joining UCF in 2019, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Population Genetics in Vienna, Austria, and at Duke University. He is a member of UCF's Genomics and Bioinformatics research cluster.

Walters joined UCF in 1997 and was named Pegasus Professor in 2012. She is part of the coastal cluster and leads CEELAB. CEELAB's work connects UCF biology students with firsthand experience, putting classroom learning into practice. Walters has received more than $19.7 million in grant funding, published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and authored 11 children's story books about marine conservation.

More Topics

College of Sciences Research Linda Walters Genomics and Bioinformatics Robert Fitak

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