Seagrass Bread: A Sustainable Solution for Future Food and Flooded Landscapes.

With climate change pushing sea levels higher, vast stretches of coastal land are expected to become submerged in the coming decades. Instead of fighting every inch of this transformation, environmental scientist Marieke van Katwijk suggests embracing it by cultivating seagrass grains—particularly Zostera marina—in these new aquatic environments.

Writing in the journal Ambio, Van Katwijk points out that some coastal areas will inevitably be reclaimed by the sea. Rather than viewing this as a total loss, she envisions these flooded landscapes being repurposed for seagrass farming. Historically, seagrass seeds have been used in Mexico to bake bread, and in certain areas, their yield already rivals that of rice.

The Netherlands, she notes, is especially well-positioned to explore this opportunity. Its long-standing expertise in coastal engineering and seed breeding provides a solid foundation for developing seagrass grain fields in coastal zones. However, this must go hand in hand with ecological responsibility. “Seagrass farming should never compromise the conservation and restoration of wild seagrass meadows,” Van Katwijk emphasizes. Instead, advances in cultivation techniques could support the rewilding of degraded habitats.

Though seagrass has sharply declined worldwide and nearly vanished from Dutch waters, efforts to restore it are underway. Cultivating it for food could offer a dual benefit: ecological restoration and sustainable agriculture.

Van Katwijk also highlights the plant’s environmental advantages. Seagrass cultivation does not require freshwater, synthetic fertilizers, or pesticides, and it emits no CO2. On the contrary, it helps trap carbon in the seabed, purifies the water, and creates vital marine habitats—much like coral reefs. Even its discarded leaves can be repurposed, for example, as insulation material.

Despite its promise, Van Katwijk acknowledges the road ahead is complex. Large-scale cultivation techniques are still under development, and seed production remains limited. She stresses the need for early discussions about investment models and regulations to prepare for a future where seagrass could become a mainstream food source.

Technological challenges remain, but as Van Katwijk concludes, “We’re working actively on solutions, in the Netherlands and beyond.”

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-seagrass-bread-food-product-future.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.