Applied
Coastal Oceanography
Team
Presentations - Fall 2002
Site
Map
Eel
Grass Habitat Restorations
Aka:
“wild celery” or “Tape grass”
Joseph Mazzotta,
Maryanne Mazzotta, Tara Pawlik
What
is Eel Grass?
The Eel grass and its Environment
Eel grass tolerates a
wide variety of salinities, but its found generally in soft sediments in
the lower inertidal zone of the bays, estuaries and sloughs with over lying
waters of low turbulence.
Why is
Eel Grass Important?
Eel grass naturally filters
and traps sediment flowing through ecosystem.
Eel grass reduces shoreline
erosion by minimizing wave energy.
Uh oh…
Problems
Affecting Eel Grass
1. Nitrogen Choking up the
bay: When too much nitrogen (from sewage outfalls, septic systems
and agricultural run off) is dumped into the water, it promotes algae blooms
that block sunlight and eat up oxygen. This steals the light and
oxygen needed by eel grass which is an important habitat and food source
for marine life. The eel grass then dies, shellfish fish and other
organisms fail to thrive…
More problems…
2. Oil spills and natural oil
emissions from boats seep into waters and threaten the Rhode Island coasts,
specifically eel grass habitats…
Here’s
some solutions!
Commencement Bay in Washington
has constructed five restoration projects that in total will cost nearly
$7,000,000. The key components of this project are to clean up the containments
on the site, restore the site to its natural condition, preserve the eel
grass bed that lies in the shallow waters on that site, but in a way that
allows the shore to be enjoyed by the public on a lower usage rate. This
bed, one of the few remaining in the bay provides important habitat for
salmon.
Eel Grass of Chesapeake
Bay
The Alliance, a restoration
team in Virginia has planned to create an eel grass bed at the underwater
Shirley Plantation and donate it to the Chesapeake Bay.
They also encourage local
environmentalist groups to attend eel grass training workshops in order
to arrange some “selective harvesting” and begin their own restoration
projects within the bay.
Eel
Grass in the “Ocean State”
The RI-CWRD (Rhode Island Corporate
Wetlands Restoration Partnership), the government, and non-profit organizations
are aiding in the funding of habitat restoration projects all over RI.
The funding will be concentrated on these key areas:
-fill removal
from salt marshes
-fish ladders
over dams
-reestablishment
of eel grass beds*
Important
Focus
Eel grass is crucial to the survival
of many biotic organisms; it provides food, shelter, oxygen, and a natural
filter system. When eel grass beds start disappearing, it can lead to fish
kills.
Sources
of Information
http://www.s-t.com/daily/03-96/03-29-96/1bay.htm
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Leg_Press/1998/habitat.html
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/eelgr.html
http://www.bayjournal.com/02-07/acb.htm
copyright
Gaytha
A. Langlois, Ph.D., 2002
Bryant
College, Smithfield, RI 02917
E-mail:
langlois@bryant.edu
Last
Updated: October 2002