We recently received a message from Anitra Thorhaug, the Seagrass Lady in response to the 2018 article at https://mlssa.org.au/2018/11/07/living-the-dream-about-the-seagrass-lady/ : –
“Dear Steve Reynolds,
Your printing of the long-ago article by Isabelle Abrams in Readers’ Digest and your wish to ” Live the Dream” was wonderful from the SEAGRASS LADY. . Thanks for this tribute.
I still plan and execute extensive restoration including mangroves and sometimes coral reefs. I have large plans for the global restoration of seagrass and hope that Jeff Bezos or some other billionaire will share my dream. I came to Sydney and helped the Supreme Court Judges in 2019 in a legal battle about an oil spill off the northern townships polluting West Timor from a leak of a lease in the northern Australian shelf by a Thai Gas and Oil Company.
There were articles the following year in 2020 about the decision quoting my name as a key witness. Keep up the good work in Southern Australia. One of my inspirations and professors interested in seagrass was Eugene Ferguson-Wood of Adelaide on leave to Miami, when I was a grad student.
My web site is being upgraded next week to include my Blue carbon and my biodiversity in seagrass habitat work.*
Best to your whole group. with warm greetings, Anitra Thorhaug”
(Source: AWARDS – Gceef.org)
* (The website at Home – Gceef.org states, “MAKE A DIFFERENCE – We restore damaged seagrass in disturbed areas, fish nurseries, endangered species habitat, stabilization of sediment and more employment for artisanal fishermen.”
I replied to Anitra, saying “Thanks for your lovely email message to the Marine Life Society of South Australia.
It was a real surprise! It’s good to hear from you and get up to date details. Do you mind if we share your message online with our members ? Keep up the good work yourself.”
(Source: BOARD & ADVISORS – Gceef.org)
According to BOARD & ADVISORS – Gceef.org, “Anitra Thorhaug, Ph.D. Miami, FL. – Old Lyme, CT. – Burton, TX.
Restoration marine plants around the world through USA, FAO, World Bank, IOC. Research of pollutant effects on marine plants, setting standards and policies for US and UN. Convenor of decision-making conferences to restore and sustain natural resources.”
Anitra has now sent us a copy of her co-authored paper titled ” Seagrass restoration in the greater Southeast Asia region: techniques, species, survival and comparisons among investigations”. The Introduction reads:
“We review the investigations of restoration of seagrasses within
the greater Southeast Asian region as one of the sets of important
solutions to maintain and bolster seagrass resources after seagrass
degradation. Regional seagrass degradation level is presently
estimated to be approximately 50% of the original seagrass extent
(Ooi et al., 2011; Arias-Ortiz et al., 2018; Fortes et al., 2018). These
authors indicate that anthropogenic impacts within the coastal zone
have been an important cause of degradation. The seagrass
importance in the greater Southeast Asian region is stated by
these authors and others as based on containing the most
seagrass species plus the largest seagrass biomass. The region has
also been identified as a key global area for carbon sequestered by
seagrass productivity (Orth et al., 2006; Alongi et al., 2016;
Gallagher et al., 2019; Macreadie et al., 2019; Thorhaug et al.,
2020a, 2020c), as well as an important global marine biodiversity
region (Ooi et al., 2011; Nakaoka et al., 2014; Fortes et al., 2018;
Langlois et al., 2023)”
The paper is available from us but can also be downloaded at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1505222/full