The Seagrass Ecology Lab is a two-hub platform founded at the University of Gothenburg (Kristineberg Marine Research Station), and now expanding at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ECOAQUA). This set-up links temperate (Sweden) and subtropical (Canary Islands) coastal systems, combining controlled hydraulic flume experiments with field sites, to test general mechanisms behind seagrass persistence, collapse, and recovery. The platform spans two focal species (Zostera marina in shallow, often wave-sheltered meadows and Cymodocea nodosa across deeper, more wave-exposed habitats), covering wide temperature regimes and contrasting depth distributions (1-5 m vs 4-25 m). This two-hub set-up enables cross-system tests that are difficult to do in a single region. The five central research themes are:

• Tipping points and resilience under climate extremes: Test when meadows shift from persistence, collapse and recovery across Sweden-Canaries gradients, including heatwaves, hypoxia, pathogens, eutrophication, and microplastics.
• Wave-current-canopy hydrodynamics: Quantify how Z. marina and C. nodosa modify turbulence, sediment motion, and light climate, from flume to field.
• Next-generation restoration design rules & scaling up: Develop transferable, climate-adaptive strategies (site selection, patch geometry, stabilization) across sheltered vs wave-exposed coasts for large-scale, cost-effective recovery. 
• Blue carbon, GHG balance and coastal erosion: Assess how carbon storage vs loss and net GHG budgets vary with forcing, depth, sediments, and restoration, including post-storm erosion/resuspension.
• Digital seagrass observatory (drones, AI & indicators). Combine UAV/ROV imagery, machine learning, and field validation to track habitat change and function, including fish/infauna and marine mammals (seals, dugongs).

These themes support scalable restoration, monitoring and ecosystem-service assessment across contrasting European coastal systems.

The Seagrass Ecology Lab – ULPGC is being established at ECOAQUA, BIOCON to continue and expand the same core activities developed at Kristineberg, integrating fieldwork, experiments, quantitative hydrodynamics, and drone-based monitoring, while building new collaborations across the Canary Islands, Spain, and international partners.

The ULPGC hub will support:

• Seagrass ecology and restoration, from site selection to implementation and monitoring
• Plant-sediment-flow interactions, coastal protection and erosion-related questions
• Drone-based mapping and monitoring of coastal habitats and marine megafauna
• Student projects and visiting researchers, linked to ongoing collaborations with Gothenburg/Kristineberg

The Seagrass Ecology Lab – Kristineberg offers modern marine research laboratories with unique facilities to perform field and laboratory scientific activities.

• Hydraulic flume. The flume can generate currents and waves similar to those in shallow coastal areas. The tank has of 8 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.4 m high with a test section box of 2 m. Flow can be measured with an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (Nortek, Vectrino) and wave gauges (HR-Wallingford). See more details on the flume.
  
• Wave mesocosms. Long-term experiments on marine organisms using wave exposition can be performed using wave mesocosms with tanks available between 1-4 m long. See more details on the mesocosms.
  
• Indoor and outdoor mesocosm facilities. Indoor mesocosms can be accommodated in climate control rooms with lights and seawater flow-through. Water temperature can be controlled and filtered with UV light.
• Lab equipment. Seawater flow-through is available together with compressed air, de-ionised water taps. Fish respirometer (O₂ sensors and peristaltic pumps), video-cameras, microscopes, water filtration columns, oven, weight scales, dynamometer, fridge and freezer among others.
• Field equipment. Instruments to measure physical parameters such as flow meters, wave gauges, temperature, salinity, light and turbidity loggers. Underwater photography, video equipment and drop-video camera. Hand-held YSI multi-parametric probe. Other equipment such as sampling nets, cages, sediment corers and box corers.
• Boat and diving equipment. Side-scan sonar mounted on boat. Snorkeling and SCUBA equipment such as dry suits, tanks, fins, masks, BCDs, regulators. Kristineberg has its own air compressor and diving facilities.
• Drones to carry aerial surveys and monitoring of coastal habitat and marine mammals (DJI Phantom 4-Pro, DJI Matrice 210, DJI Phantom 4-RTK, Mavic 2S, multispectral sensor, x30 optical zoom lens) and DJI Goggles.

Research in Seagrass Ecology is possible in the meadows of Zostera marina (eelgrass) and Zostera noltii  present along the Gullmars Fjord. Ruppia maritima is also present at the inner parts of the fjord where water is more brackish. Seagrass beds are found between 1-5 m depth at most sites with a range of wave exposures, salinities and sediment grain sizes. This shallow depth makes it fairly easy to access the meadows by snorkelling or Scuba. Eelgrass morphologies can range from leaves lengths of 15-20 cm when is present at 1 m depth to 70-80 cm at 4m depth. Eelgrass flowering occurs from June to August when the water is warmer.

Because seagrass meadows are located close to Kristineberg, they can be accessed directly by swimming, walking or boat. Samples of seagrass, fish, invertebrate and macroalgae can be easily collected and transported to the lab. Experiments can be easily performed in the field since the marine station provides an excellent platform for field access. Check here some fauna present in eelgrass beds near Kristineberg!!

Kristineberg Marine Research Station is located in the West coast of Sweden is part of the University of Gothenburg. Established in 1877, Kristineberg is also one of the oldest marine research stations in the world, with a well-established contact network and a long tradition of hosting visiting scientists. Kristineberg offers an excellent profile for students and researchers to access all the benefits of the academic institution.

Kristineberg has its own dorm and apartments to accommodate students and visiting guest scientists. The station restaurant provide daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with vegetarian and special diet options.

For student projects, visiting research, or collaborations, contact the Seagrass Ecology Lab ULPGC team.

Contact: eduardo.infantes [at] ulpgc.es