Seagrass in Motion: starting the work of a national plan

First things first - my name is Carl Gough.

Nearly three months into my role as Project Manager for the National Seagrass Action Plan (NSAP), and an update feels more than a little overdue. 

Here's my first blog to introduce myself and catch you up on where things stand.

The story so far:

As covered in the previous blog, the Seagrass Network Cymru (SNC) submitted the proposal for NSAP to Welsh Government in July 2024. Following this, some initial funding was secured in November through the MPA Management Grant Scheme to support 15 months of operations. This included recruitment of a Project Manager — leading to me taking up the role at the end of March this year.

In these first three months, I’ve been reviewing, assessing, evaluating, networking, and planning. A big part of my role is to bring structure and support good governance so that the work of SNC members can progress with confidence and connect effectively with other relevant projects and initiatives.

Who am I?

I fell in love with the ocean when my family moved to Cornwall when I was just seven years old. We didn’t stay long, but the salt got into my blood and has stayed there ever since.

My early career was in aquatics, which led to roles in public aquaria and zoological parks. This cultivated a real thirst to know more so I returned to academia as a mature student to complete my degrees. What I didn’t anticipate was how my work with community and conservation would lead me into the world of community development. For the last 20 years, I’ve been involved in coordinating local and regional strategies, supporting social enterprise development, and brokering partnerships to achieve meaningful social and environmental impact.

Stepping into this new role with SNC feels a bit like coming home—back to marine science and conservation, but with a toolbox of skills and insights from the community and social enterprise sectors that I can now draw upon to support delivery of the vision embodied in the National Seagrass Action Plan.

What’s next?

The next few months will be about putting plans into action. This includes launching working groups to drive forward NSAP priorities and improving communications so SNC members stay connected and external audiences can follow our progress.

I’m also really keen to expand connections beyond the existing network. One of the most powerful things about seagrass is that it isn't just about environmental conservation! Seagrass restoration supports all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is strongly aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. From supporting local economies through fisheries and tourism, to offering nature-based solutions for coastal erosion and climate resilience, to improving biodiversity and water quality, there’s a lot to love about seagrass. Therefore if you'd like to know more, please to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.

NSAP is Wales’ commitment to stop the loss of seagrass around Welsh coasts by 2030 and double its extent by 2050. We’re proud that Wales is the first nation in the world to commit to a coordinated national plan for seagrass restoration. NSAP has not only been endorsed by Welsh Government, but has also received recognition and praise from the World Seagrass Association.

“It sets an example that the World Seagrass Association can lean upon when assisting other organisations seeking similar representation of seagrass systems in policy.” 
[Prof. Emma Jackson, President of World Seagrass Assoc.]

Stay connected:

• Blogs from SNC members will feature here regularly

• Follow us on LinkedIn [@seagrass-network-cymru]

• Or email me at NSAP@projectseagrass.org if you'd like to chat or to arrange a meeting or presentation for your team

My first public engagement at the Senedd for Biodiversity Day