Britain’s seagrass meadows were disappearing; a Scottish community transplanted mature shoots instead of seeds and achieved 97% survival

Britain's seagrass meadows were disappearing; a Scottish community transplanted mature shoots instead of seeds and achieved 97% survival

Britain’s seagrass meadows have suffered decades of decline, but a community-led project on Scotland’s west coast is showing that restoring them may not always require starting from seeds. Seawilding, a Scottish marine restoration charity, has been experimenting with transplanting mature Zostera marina shoots from healthy donor meadows into areas where seagrass has been lost. The … Read more

Nasa scientists grew corn seeds in space and found that microgravity changed how the seedlings’ roots and shoots grew

Nasa scientists grew corn seeds in space and found that microgravity changed how the seedlings’ roots and shoots grew

Long before astronauts ever plant a seed on the Moon or Mars, Nasa has been testing a much simpler question here on Earth’s doorstep: what happens when a corn seed germinates with no gravity to tell it which way to grow? Back in the early 1990s, researchers flew dry corn kernels aboard the space shuttle, … Read more