In 2021, SeyCCAT, in collaboration with the Lakademi Kreol Sesel, launched a national campaign to identify official Creole words and terms for seagrass and its five lifeforms. The exercise was part of the Coastal Wetlands and Climate Change project’s activities to raise awareness on seagrass in the country. The project which started in 2020 had two components; the science, which included determining the coverage and carbon storage capacity of Seychelles’ seagrasses and secondly, tackling some of the setbacks such as low human resource capacity and little understanding by the general public and business community of the economic value and importance of seagrass ecosystems.

The population at large was targeted to participate in the process through social media posts, dedicated radio programmes and website alerts. The fishing community played a central role in outreach efforts given they are at the forefront of the country’s marine landscape and are familiar with seagrass habitats. SeyCCAT collaborated with district administrators on mainland Mahé, Praslin and La Digue to engage with fishermen given restrictions of movement at the time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Data collected in the process showed that there were words and terms already being used in reference to seagrass meadows and its lifeforms. Existing names and proposed ‘new’ names were submitted to an Emerald committee, the make-up of which included scientists and linguists, to specifically advise on the suggestions and to compile a short-list for the Lakademi Kreol Sesel for a final decision.

Learn all about the project here