Hola Beatriz,

si, es por ejemplo un gran tema en Zanzibar (Tansania), donde estoy dirigendo un proyecto sobre actividades pesqueras..vea M de la Torre-Castro - ‎2014.

En nuestra pagina web del ZMT veras lo que estamos haciendo en el contexto de SUTAS (Sustainable use of tropical aquatic systems) em Zanzibar

Saludos,

Matthias

P.S. Como el contexto politico esta cambiando, talvez podemos pensar en reactivar nuetra colaboracion? ?como te parece? A mi me encantaria!

I don't know how they harvest it but the company Neptutherm from Germany makes insulation material from Posidonia oceanica. Info is available in German on http://www.neptutherm.com/index.php?home

Hi,

The dead leaves are often used as insulation for constructions. It has been doing in Ibiza traditionally. They use the dead leaves and rhizomes debris that are washed on beaches or coasts.

Also, at the time seagrasses were still abundantly present in the Dutch Wadden Sea and 'Zuiderzee' (now: IJsselmeer), people used to harvest them and apply for different things, e.g. in mattresses of beds and insulation.

We have increasing info on this topic - its certainly used as a food stuff in the Indo-pacific still to this day and widely used as fertilizer in many island communities (particularly when they're carbonate reef islands low on phosphate).

An interesting and increasing aspect is the collection of the wrack for disposal as it's seen as a blight on the shore of golden sand beaches at expensive resorts and housing development. If you're still looking for articles let me know.

Thank you for your answers to everybody.

But what methods they use for collecting the material from shores and avoid erosion of the coastline?

Locally dependent but on a subsistence basis it's all by hand, picking enhalus fruits, eating Cymodocea rhizomes - all hand picked. Clearance of wrack is sometimes by machine.

Thanks again.

If you have any paper about the evaluation of the impact of harvesting on the seagrass or on beaches, it would be very interesting for me.

I'm not sure any actual research exists on the impacts of any harvesting! I'll keep my open and let you know!

Seagrass in blends with green seaweeds was used as a fertiliser in Portugal (it was called Moliço). There is a recent research on the possible use of seagrass as a source of rosemarinic acid, see Food Chem;113, 4, 878.  I am curious about the possible use of such marine resources that don't need clean water in their production.