Species richness accelerates marine ecosystem restoration in the Coral Triangle

Significance The exceptional diversity of species in the coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests of the Coral Triangle and the many ecological functions and benefits to humans they provide have made them a high priority for conservation and fisheries management. Nevertheless, their degradation continues and calls for effective restoration. In an experimental restoration, we demonstrated that planting mixtures of diverse seagrass species improves their overall survival and growth and thus the trajectory toward successful restoration. Incorporating species diversity into restoration heralds a shift in practice from establishing a single founder species, and recognizes the widely documented positive effects that biodiversity has on ecosystem function and services. Biodiversity is often a restoration goal, but it also promises a means to improve success.