Tracking the flowering and fruiting of Posidonia australis

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What is Seeds of the Sea?

Seeds of the Sea is a citizen science and research project focused on tracking the flowering and fruiting of Posidonia australis — an endangered seagrass critical to the health of New South Wales estuaries.

With support from community members, divers, Indigenous Rangers, and scientists, we’re documenting these reproductive events to fill critical data gaps and guide future restoration.

In NSW, flowering is limited and not yet well understood — but in 2024, we found flowers and viable seeds across multiple estuaries. Your sightings can help us uncover when and where it’s happening — and open the door to seed-based restoration in areas that need it most.

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Why track flowering and fruiting?

Posidonia australis meadows are disappearing — especially along our most developed coastlines. In other parts of Australia, large-scale restoration is already underway using seeds collected during flowering events.

But in NSW, we still don’t know enough about when or where flowering occurs — or how it varies between estuaries. By tracking these events in real time, we can support future restoration efforts and help bring back lost meadows.

When does flowering happen?

The flowering and fruiting season in NSW typically runs from August through December, sometimes into January — but the timing can vary across years, and between locations.

So far, we’ve seen northern estuaries flower earlier than those in the south — but what triggers flowering is still unclear. Your observations can help us fill those knowledge gaps.

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