The largest seagrass restoration project in the UK has come to an end after five years of work, with some areas showing signs of “recovery” as a result.

The £2.5m project, funded by the EU and run by the Plymouth-based charity Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT), aimed to reverse decades of decline which had seen seagrass disturbed and wiped out by coastal pollution and human activity.

Seagrass can absorb carbon dioxide faster than trees, making it a natural defence against climate change and an important part of the marine ecosystem.