Seagrass conservation has become a topic of growing interest not only to the scientific community, but also to coastal managers and policy-makers. This is not surprising given the important role they play in maintaining biodiversity, supporting food security and providing a myriad of ecosystem services vital to sustaining human well-being.

In West Africa, the potential of seagrass meadows is enormous. Yet, thorough investigations are required to determine their spatial distribution as well as implementing a monitoring system to take into account the needs and available means in the region. This is one of the main objectives of ResilienSEA project launched in 2018, which aims to support 7 West African countries (Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone) to better manage this crucial but largely overlooked habitat.

The efforts undertaken by the ResilienSEA project are essentially based on increasing the capacity of people involved in the management of seagrass meadows. This will ensure the continuity of the project's actions beyond its closure in 2022.