Seeding Drone tested using live seeds in France

We’re starting the year with exciting news from the final weeks of 2025: In December, part of our team travelled to the Bay of Arcachon in southern France to assist Office français de la biodiversité with their seagrass seeding efforts using our newly developed seeding drone. It was a joy to collaborate in their ongoing seagrass restoration efforts and support them by seeding Zostera noltii in high-potential but hard-to-access, muddy areas.

Over the past year, our Research & Development team has been working on an aerial adaptation of the DIS method, integrating a custom-designed dispenser with one of our heavy-duty drones. The flights in December marked the first time we were able to put this system to the test in the field using live seeds.

With drone-based seeding we’re adding a new option to the DIS toolbox alongside manual and mechanised approaches. In very soft or muddy conditions, manual seeding can come with an increased risk of seed burial due to trampling, or be simply not feasible. Airborne seeding allows precise injection of seeds without disturbing the substrate any more than necessary and opens up new locations to seagrass restoration efforts.

We look forward to further applying and refining this approach in the new year and to continuing collaborations that help push the boundaries of coastal ecosystem restoration.