Indonesia’s “Forgotten” Seagrass Meadows Face Extinction Crisis

Marine scientists are sounding the alarm about Indonesia’s rapidly disappearing seagrass ecosystems, calling them a “forgotten” environmental treasure that’s being sacrificed despite their critical importance for climate stability and marine biodiversity.

At the recent Indonesian Seagrass Symposium in Bali, conservation experts highlighted how these underwater flowering plants serve as vital nurseries for juvenile fish and provide shelter for marine creatures like crabs, prawns, and sea cucumbers. Working alongside coral reefs and mangroves, seagrass meadows act as powerful carbon sinks while filtering polluted runoff and protecting coastlines from erosion.

“We barely pay attention to it, even though its ecological, biological and ecosystem service roles are strategically important,” said Victor Nikijuluw, senior ocean program adviser at Conservation International’s Indonesian affiliate. He noted that seagrass habitats are often the first to be destroyed in coastal development projects, largely because most people don’t understand their value.

The symposium participants identified scientific data gaps, weak institutional capacity, and low public awareness as major obstacles preventing stronger protection policies. With more than 70 seagrass species covering approximately 600,000 square kilometers of ocean floor worldwide, these ecosystems represent crucial habitat for endangered species like dugongs. Scientists are now calling for enhanced collaboration and evidence-based policies to integrate seagrass conservation into Indonesia’s broader environmental agenda before these underwater meadows vanish entirely.