Journal article
From little things, big things grow: using applied nucleation to restore marine forests
npj Ocean Sustainability, Vol.First online(1), pp.1-51
14/05/2026
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Abstract
Global habitat degradation has prompted an urgent need for efficient restoration strategies at appropriate spatial scales. “Applied nucleation” is a restoration technique used in terrestrial forests, which starts with planting small vegetation patches that set the trajectory for natural propagation and recovery, resulting in large-scale restoration outcomes that require fewer resources. This concept could provide a framework for the restoration of marine seaweed forests, which are declining at unprecedented scales. We used the loss and 13-year restoration efforts of crayweed (Phyllospora comosa) forests along 70 km of Sydney’s coastline, Australia, to determine the feasibility and challenges of applied nucleation in marine forests. After transplanting events at 14 sites, 43% of transplanted sites led to the establishment and expansion of crayweed, covering ~19,000 m2 along Sydney’s coastline. Recruitment 9 months post-transplantation was negatively associated with grazing and positively related to survival of transplanted adults—a source of propagules and canopy cover in the short-term. In the longer term, crayweed expansion was positively associated with other canopy-forming seaweed species, suggesting canopy provision as an important factor influencing recovery. Small-scale efforts, such as applied nucleation, that consider factors influencing seaweed establishment and expansion can help re-establish marine forests at relevant scales.
Details
- Title
- From little things, big things grow: using applied nucleation to restore marine forests
- Creators
- Catalina A. Musrri - The University of SydneyGeorgina Wood - Flinders UniversityAdriana Vergés - UNSW SydneyAlexandra H. Campbell - University of the Sunshine CoastMelinda A. Coleman - New South Wales Department of Primary IndustriesSebastian Vadillo Gonzalez - The University of SydneyPeter D. Steinberg - UNSW SydneyEzequiel M. Marzinelli - The University of Sydney
- Publication Details
- npj Ocean Sustainability, Vol.First online(1), pp.1-51
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Grant note
- Lim-Sutton Initiative Marine Studies Institute (MSI): Ruhm Award in Marine Ecology Philanthropic funds to Operation Crayweed Australian Government: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship Australian Research Council: LP160100836, ARC Industry Fellowship (IE230100464) New South Wales Government: Recreation Fishing Trust and Environmental Trust grants
We thank Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Brendan Kelaher, Tamsin Peters, Damon Bolton, Derrick Cruz, Clayton Mead, Sofie Vranken, Gary Truong, Kingsley Griffin and Sam Baxter for field support. Ryan Jepson and Mali Woods for CoralNet ID. Michelle, Alysa and Morgane, Anthony Lindemeyer and Madeleine Langley for stereo-DOV analysis support. Tess Moriarty, Bethan Lang, Arielle Saunders, Rachel Venhuizen, Iva Nikolaeva, Claudia Santori, Channelle Webster, Jack Vitnell and Yi Da Jiang for expansion surveys. We also thank the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. Please refer to https://www.operationcrayweed.com/ and https://greatsouthernreef.com/ for more information on this project and marine forest restoration in Australia. This work was partly funded by an Australian Research Council grant (LP160100836), NSW government Recreation Fishing Trust and Environmental Trust grants, the Lim-Sutton Initiative and various philanthropic funds to Operation Crayweed. C.A.M. was supported by an Australian Government International Research Training Programme (RTP) scholarship and the Marine Studies Institute (MSI) Ruhm Award in Marine Ecology. G.W. was supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) ARC Industry Fellowship (IE230100464).
- Identifiers
- 991013379551402368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2026.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article