A global map of seagrass ecosystems

NEWS AND VIEWS

24 June 2026

Combining satellite imagery and machine learning has created the first comprehensive map of seagrass meadows, in a boost for the conservation of these crucial ecosystems.

By

Carlos M. Duarte

Carlos M. Duarte is at the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

Dorte Krause-Jensen

Dorte Krause-Jensen is at the Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.

Seagrass meadows are a foundational marine ecosystem — one that supports biodiversity, fisheries, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, as well as stabilizes the sea bed and protects the shoreline1. Yet despite these benefits, seagrass meadows have received little attention compared with other coastal ecosystems2. This neglect perpetuates uncertainty about how much seagrass there is, and where it is located3,4.

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

27,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 52 print issues and online access

185,98 € per year

only 3,58 € per issue

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Log in

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Read our FAQs

Contact customer support

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01805-0

References

Duarte, C. M., Apostolaki, E. T., Serrano, O., Steckbauer, A. & Unsworth, R. K. F. Nature Rev. Biodivers. 1, 150–165 (2025).

Article

Google Scholar

Duarte, C. M., Dennison, W. C., Orth, R. J. & Carruthers, T. J. B. Estuaries Coast. 31, 233–238 (2008).

Article

Google Scholar

Duarte, C. M. Biogeosciences 14, 301–310 (2017).

Article

Google Scholar

McKenzie, L. J. et al. Environ. Res. Lett. 15, 074041 (2020).

Article

Google Scholar

Peng, J. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10704-3 (2026).

Article

Google Scholar

Duarte, C. M. Aquat. Bot. 40, 363–377 (1991).

Article

Google Scholar

do Amaral Camara Lima, M., Bergamo, T. F., Ward R. D. & Joyce, C. B. Hydrobiologia 850, 2655–2670 (2023).

Article

Google Scholar

Poloczanska, E. S. et al. Nature Clim. Chang. 3, 919–925 (2013).

Article

Google Scholar

Chefaoui, R. M., Duarte, C. M. & Serrão, E. A. Glob. Change Biol. 24, 4919–4928 (2018).

Article

Google Scholar

Gouvêa, L., Fragkopoulou, E. B., Araújo, M., Serrão, E. A. & Assis, J. J. Biogeogr. 52, 172–185 (2024).

Article

Google Scholar

Download references

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Related Articles

Read the paper: Global high-resolution mapping of seagrass to support conservation

With the arrival of El Niño, prepare for stronger marine heatwaves

The Maldives is racing to create new land. Why are so many people concerned?

How to lock away more carbon: give mangroves a little love

See all News & Views

Subjects

Latest on:

US funding uncertainties threaten to sink key global oceanography projects

News 25 JUN 26

Volcanic magma sculpts eerie domes on the sea floor

Research Highlight 24 JUN 26

Global high-resolution mapping of seagrass to support conservation

Article 24 JUN 26

Fiery data hint that controlled forest fires benefit human health

Research Highlight 17 JUN 26

Emergent decadal predictability in Antarctic contribution to sea-level rise

Perspective 17 JUN 26

In the field — and in the lab — sometimes the simplest tool is best

Technology Feature 15 JUN 26