The superpower that is sea grass and new storage possibilities

Sea grass is like a hidden superpower. Though they may not look all that spectacular, these plants have many positive attributes. For example, they make an important contribution to biodiversity and provide marine creatures such as fish, bivalves and prawns with a safe habitat. Furthermore, the blades and roots of sea grasses keep sand and sediment in place, protecting coasts against erosion. Sea grass also removes CO₂ from the ocean and stores the carbon it contains, thereby helping to protect the climate. 

“We want sea grasses to spread permanently again, without any help from us,” says Maike Paul from Leibniz University Hannover, who leads the SeaStore project. In the southern Baltic Sea, she and her team are working on the scientific principles that will allow wide-scale renaturation. They have already replanted sea grass at three locations and are analysing its growth to ensure that it thrives in the long term. At the same time, the researchers are also raising awareness among the coastal population and tourists about the importance of protecting the sea grasses. In addition, numerous volunteers are supporting the researchers by diving into the Baltic Sea and helping to plant new sea grass. 

Diverting and using heavy rainfall 

From flood protection to drought prevention: initiated by the Technical University of Munich and also involving the Deggendorf Institute of Technology on the Danube River, the research project Smart-SWS covers a remarkably wide spectrum. Following days of heavy rainfall, the Danube had burst its banks in 2013, the floodwaters causing considerable damage. Smart-SWS wants to prevent such disasters from happening while at the same time improving the supply of groundwater. 

In late 2024, a pilot facility went into operation in the village of Hüll in Upper Bavaria: it collects the heavy rainfall from the surface, cleans it and makes it available for groundwater supply. The new facility allows the rainfall to seep into the ground much more quickly than it would under normal circumstances and to be stored locally for longer periods. Smart-SWS employee Lea Augustin explains: “One big advantage is that the results of our suitability analyses indicate that the system could be used at many different locations and regions in Germany.” And presumably even further afield: recently, the team presented the pilot facility at a symposium in Stellenbosch, South Africa.