One of UK’s largest seagrass beds discovered off Cornwall

Survey finds 359 hectares of rich habitat, a highly effective carbon sink, in St Austell Bay

One of the largest seagrass beds in the UK, home to seahorses, pipefish and scallops and a highly effective carbon sink, has been identified off the south coast of Cornwall.

An acoustic study of St Austell Bay carried out by a survey boat pinpointed 359 hectares (887 acres) of seagrass hugging the coastline, and divers sent in to examine the site close up recorded 56 species living in the rich habitat.