What does it mean to restore seagrass? 

My name is Gusti Ayu Made Mirah Rismayanti. I am a young Balinese woman with a background in marine science and a deep interest in mapping, conservation and coastal ecosystem restoration. My journey into the world of restoration did not originate solely in academia, but rather from firsthand fieldwork, witnessing how environmental changes have a real impact on the lives of coastal communities.

I work with a seagrass restoration project called Nyawiang Segara, which comes from the Balinese language and means “to give life to the sea.” The word Nyawiang means to give life or bring back to life something that is dead or lost. The word Segara means sea. From these two definitions, Nyawiang Segara became the name and philosophical basis that gives life and spirit to me and my team. 

I work with Bendega, an organization known for its collaborative work with fisherfolk in restoring mangrove ecosystems in Bali. From this work, I learned that coastal ecosystems do not function in isolation. Mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs are interconnected in a living landscape, an ecotone that determines the health of the sea and human well-being. 

The Bendega team, after completing field activities. Photo: Malkan Madani

Through Nyawiang Segara, Bendega, and I began working on seagrass restoration at Mertasari Beach, inBali. Unlike mangroves, seagrass is a new area of learning for us. Therefore, our approach is still in the pilot-testing phase, trying, learning, evaluating and refining restoration methods appropriate to Bali’s local context. 

I want the world to know and appreciate seagrass more. Seagrass is a crucial ecosystem that is often overlooked. It acts as a wave buffer, regulates nutrient and sediment inputs, absorbs large amounts of carbon and provides habitat for the spawning and growth of the fish and marine life we consume and live with every day. This means that seagrass plays a very important role for all of us as a highly productive underwater forest. 

For us, Nyawiang Segara is not just a project, but a shared learning space between science, field experience and local knowledge.

The social and ecological context where we work is very complex. Seagrass degradation occurs due to the pressure of human activities such as tourism, boat mooring and dock and jetty construction. At the same time, fisherfolk face the reality of declining fish stocks, reduced recruitment of young fisherfolk and an increased risk of coastal disasters. We see firsthand how the destruction of nature worsens the community’s social and economic conditions, while the lack of structural support further prolongs the cycle of degradation.

This is what motivates the Bendega team and me to keep moving forward. We believe that restoring nature means restoring its people, and fisherfolk have a key role to play in this relationship. With Nyawiang Segara, we do not see fisherfolk as mere beneficiaries, but as the main actors in restoration. They are the guardians of the sea who best understand the dynamics of the coast where they live.

Transplantation of 100 seagrass shoots of Enhalus acoroides at Mertasari Beach. Photo: Loka Riset Perikanan Tuna

Seagrass restoration activities in Nyawiang Segara involve fisherfolk and local communities through planting, monitoring and joint learning. We also strive to develop incentive schemes in which restoration becomes an additional source of livelihood for fisherfolk, who receive wages for restoration and seedling procurement. This step is important for shifting the cycle of degradation towards one of regeneration, where protecting nature also means protecting livelihoods.

The condition of the seagrass one week after transplantation, showing that it remains upright and continues to survive. Credit: Ronaldo Damar

Through Nyawiang Segara, I hope that more people, especially the younger generation, will dare to take steps toward restoration in their own landscapes. Youth-led restoration is important because we will live the longest with the impacts of the climate crisis. We bring new perspectives, the courage to experiment and the passion to build a more equitable and sustainable relationship between humans and nature.Change doesn’t have to start with big projects. It can begin with one beach, one community and one act of courage. If the story of Nyawiang Segara can inspire others to care for their own oceans, then this small step already has great meaning.