Hi!

This year I've chosen to raise money and awareness for Project Seagrass.

I signed up for an Ironman last year knowing I would end up using the challenge as a fundraiser, but picking a charity then was a bit more difficult (and I needed a few months to contemplate my decision of signing up for something like this). I've successfully made it through half of the training plan with 3 months to go and have decided to launch the fundraiser!

Considering I'd be swimming, cycling and running more distances than the average commuter would do in any one day (not that people tend to swim to work), it seemed appropriate to raise money for an environmental effort with a mission to help decarbonise the earth as well as benefit the global population in many other ways too! Enter Project Seagrass.

Project Seagrass is a global facing environmental charity devoted to the conservation of seagrass ecosystems through research, community and action.

So, what's so special about seagrass?

TL;DR: Seagrass is super important for multiple reasons including being a huge carbon sink, it's threatened and we really need to be saving it!

Tell me more!

Seagrasses are flowering plants that live in shallow sheltered areas along coastlines. These leaves form large, dense meadows under the sea. Like the coral reefs and rainforest’s of the tropics, these underwater gardens are full of life, hosting many animals of different shapes, colours and sizes. However, like rainforest’s and coral reefs, these incredible underwater gardens are threatened. Globally, estimates suggest we lose an area of seagrass around the same size as two football pitches every hour. Protecting what is left is vital.

Carbon Sequestration

Seagrasses occupy 0.1% of the seafloor, yet are responsible for 11% of the organic carbon buried in the ocean. Seagrass meadows, mangroves and coastal wetlands capture carbon at a rate greater than that of tropical forests.

*If that wasn't enough of a selling point already...*

Fisheries

Seagrass meadows form the basis of the world’s primary fishing grounds, supplying 20% of the world’s fisheries.

Poverty Alleviation

Seagrass meadows support communities and livelihoods. They provide vital nutrition for close to 3 billion people, and 50% of animal protein to 400 million people in the third world.

Biodiversity

Seagrass meadows provide food and habitat for 1000’s of species such as shellfish, seahorses, manatees, and sea turtles. Over 30 times more animals live within seagrass compared to adjacent sandy habitats.

I'll be rocking the nerd glasses and long compression socks once again for a painful 140.6 miles / 226.3 km / 247456 yards - help me make it worth it!

Breakdown of the Ironman distance:

2.4mile (3.8km) swim

112mile (180km) bike

26.2mile (42.2km) run

This is a special 4-for-1 offer and by donating today you will be helping in countless (guaranteed 4) ways - can't get that in the middle of lidl now can you?

Find out more at: https://www.projectseagrass.org/about/