SEAGUARD: Seagrass Growth and Adaptation Using AI Research & Development

Image is AI-generated.

Can AI help save the Baltic Sea?

SEAGUARD combines satellite imagery, regional climate projections, and machine-learning techniques to identify seabed areas where eelgrass has a high probability of persisting. By integrating regional climate modeling, remote sensing, AI, and stakeholder engagement, SEAGUARD hopes to turn seagrass re-planting from a niche dive effort into a scalable climate- and biodiversity-protection measure for the Baltic Sea.

Our Mission

We’re combining cutting-edge AI with marine science to:

• Map existing seagrass habitats along Germany’s Baltic coast
  
• Predict where restoration will work best
  
• Speed up simulations and reduce energy use
  
• Support ecosystems and coastal resilience

Our work supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water

How It Works

SEAGUARD blends satellite data, climate models, and machine learning to:

• Identify suitable restoration zones with AI
  
• Run climate models faster and greener
  
• Track long-term trends in ocean and coastal health

We make complex environmental modeling more accessible and sustainable.

Why It Matters

Seagrass captures carbon, shelters marine life, and defends coasts. But it’s under threat. By restoring seagrass, we can:

• Capture more carbon and slow climate change
  
• Improve water quality and marine biodiversity
  
• Strengthen natural coastal protection
  
• Advance Europe’s environmental policies like the
  Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive

Collaboration

SEAGUARD is a joint effort by:

• Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)
  
• University of Kiel (CAU)
• EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG

Our team spans AI, oceanography, marine ecology, and remote sensing.

We work closely with:

• Public agencies
  
• Local communities
  
• Environmental scientists

Together, we’re designing tools and insights that can be used in the real world.

Open Science

We believe in transparency and accessibility. That’s why:

• Our software and data will be shared openly (GitHub, Zenodo)
  
• We follow FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
  
• We offer training for anyone who wants to use our tools

SEAGUARD is funded by the  Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) on the basis of a decision of the German Bundestag.