Surfgrass Guardians: Community-Based Biodiversity Monitoring of Seagrass Meadows in Baja California

Jessica Anayansi Garcia Pantoja

Other project team members: Manuel Vivanco Bercovich, Beatriz Ibarra Macías, Yolanda Evelia Sierra Ruiz, Anahi Bermudez Romero, Crista Irma Ramirez Ruiz and Humberto Francisco Alonso Peinado

A vibrant corridor of underwater forests formed by surfgrass (seagrasses of the genus Phyllospadix) thrives along the 1,300 km coastline of Baja California. Seagrass ecosystems are globally recognized for their role as biodiversity hotspots (UNEP, 2020; Unsworth et al., 2022). However, surfgrass meadows remain understudied and largely absent from conservation agendas, despite their ecological importance and vulnerability to multiple stressors (Garcia-Pantoja et al., 2020; SEMARNAT, 2019; Vivanco-Bercovich et al., 2022, 2024). This project addresses this gap by developing and implementing the first community-based underwater biodiversity monitoring program for surfgrass ecosystems. We will (1) adapt established monitoring approaches to this unique ecosystem using snorkel and SCUBA-based surveys, (2) train local surfers, fishers, and students as “Surfgrass Guardians” and (3) apply the protocol at two contrasting sites: the pristine Todos Santos Island and an urban meadow at 3MS beach, threatened by industries and a proposed mega-port expansion. Expected outputs include a monitoring manual, the first dataset on surfgrass-associated biodiversity, a trained local network, and a scientific manuscript. Outcomes will generate baseline information to support evidence-based coastal decision-making, and empower communities as long-term stewards of these overlooked blue-forest ecosystems.

Watch the project video (in Spanish):