The Cambodian Seagrass Conservation Project was launched as a long-term research and conservation initiative to better understand the extent and ecological condition of Cambodia’s seagrass meadows. It also monitors and assesses the recovery of these vital habitats over time, particularly within areas protected by MCC’s Fishery Productivity Structures (FPS).

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Seagrass meadows are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet. They capture twice as much carbon as the world’s terrestrial forests and support roughly 20% of global fisheries. Cambodia is home to twelve known seagrass species, ten of which occur in the Kep Archipelago, including Halophila ovalis, Thalassia hemprichii, and Enhalus acoroides. These meadows provide a wide range of ecological services: they act as nursery and feeding grounds for marine species, store carbon, oxygenate surrounding waters, cycle nutrients, improve water quality, and mitigate coastal erosion.

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In Kep and Kampot, seagrass meadows also hold major socioeconomic value. They supply food, income, and livelihoods for coastal communities and support both small-scale fisheries and tourism. Their natural recovery, especially in restored areas, has become a clear conservation success story, highlighted by the return of dugongs, which depend on healthy seagrass for feeding.