Advancing public pro-environmental action for global seagrass conservation

Lucy Coals, Benjamin Lawrence Hopper Jones 

Seagrass meadows support biodiversity, climate mitigation, and human well-being, yet remain threatened by interacting anthropogenic pressures. Public engagement is increasingly promoted in seagrass conservation, but the behaviours most relevant to reducing seagrass decline remain poorly defined. We surveyed 172 seagrass knowledge holders from 39 countries and territories, representing 1942 cumulative years of experience, to assess perceived threats and public pro-environmental behaviours. Respondents identified 868 threat instances across 18 categories, with runoff, coastal development, and recreational boating among the dominant pressures. Behavioural tractability varied strongly. Visible, direct threats, especially recreational boating, were viewed as more amenable to public action than diffuse or system-level drivers such as climate change. Using thematic analysis, we identified 21 pro-environmental behaviours relevant to seagrass conservation. Responsible boating, coastal protection advocacy, education, sustainable consumption, and reducing household watershed impacts were most common. We argue that effective seagrass conservation requires broader behaviour portfolios aligned with multi-scalar threat pathways.