Project
Completed
Conservation of Estuarine Spoon Seagrass Halophia beccraii in Bakkhali Esturay, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Target Species: Halophila beccarii (Estuarine Spoon Seagrass)
Location: Bakkhali Estuary, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Funder: The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, UAE
Timeline: 2011 – 2013
Core Purpose & Impact:
This project addressed the complete lack of monitoring and protection for Halophila beccarii in Bangladesh's coastal zones. By establishing initial baseline data in the Bakkhali Estuary, the initiative aimed to protect these dense seagrass beds—which stabilize coastal sediment, supply nutrients to nearshore waters, support marine ranching, and provide critical habitat, food, and nursery grounds for local fish, invertebrates, sea turtles, and birds.
Overview
The Conservation of Estuarine Spoon Seagrass (Halophila beccarii) in Bakkhali Estuary, Cox’s Bazar, was a pioneering ecological project funded by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (UAE) between 2011 and 2013. Implemented in the intertidal coastal zones of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the initiative focused on assessing and preserving Halophila beccarii—a vulnerable seagrass species that forms dense underwater beds critical to the health of the local marine environment.
These seagrass meadows serve vital ecological and economic functions by stabilizing coastal substrates, producing sediment, and cycling nutrients across nearshore ecosystems. Furthermore, they provide essential habitats, nursery grounds, and primary food sources for commercially valuable fish, marine invertebrates, sea turtles, and migratory avifauna, forming a foundation for sustainable marine ranching. By establishing baseline monitoring where no prior protection existed, the project addressed the urgent need to conserve Bangladesh’s neglected coastal seagrass habitats from environmental degradation and human pressures.