Biodiversity discovery and the future of South Georgia’s seaweed habitats
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Darwin Plus Main
VALUE £245,841
WHERE South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Summary
Seaweeds constitute a huge proportion of South Georgia's unique and charismatic marine biodiversity but are highly vulnerable to environmental change. To fill critical gaps in baseline knowledge of inshore seaweed-dominated habitats, this project integrates innovative molecular techniques with two centuries of specimen data and involves the first major field expedition to understand seaweed diversity and distribution around South Georgia. This wealth of knowledge will be transformed into tools with which to build capacity for monitoring and protecting these vital habitats.
