In Northeast Massachusetts, we are fortunate to have an abundance of coastline. While we often think of sandy beaches and rocky bluffs, there is a diversity of habitats that make up our coastal ecosystem. Vegetated sand dunes, salt marshes, and coastal shrublands provide amazing recreational opportunities to hunt, fish, play, and explore. These coastal habitats are also quietly providing numerous ecosystem benefits. One lesser known, but critical habitat that provides substantial ecosystem services are seagrass meadows.

Seagrass in Massachusetts

Seagrass is a type of marine plant that lives in the subtidal zone, where it can remain fully submerged but still access sunlight. Individual seagrass plants grow in beds or meadows that can span small patches or reach up to miles in size. Globally, there are 72 different seagrass species. In Massachusetts, the most common species is called eelgrass (Zostera marina). While seagrass habitat has long been a defining feature of Massachusetts coastal waters, it has recently experienced significant declines. Declines have been attributed to a number of factors including degradation of water quality and clarity, as well as rising ocean temperatures. To check out a map of seagrass in coastal waters, visit: MassDEP Eelgrass Viewer (arcgis.com) 

Seagrass is a very important habitat, providing substantial benefits to our marine system. Dense beds can help slow down wave action, providing coastal protection. Plants also act as a nursery and food sources for many of our marine species such as flounder, crabs, bay scallops, and cod. Through absorbing nutrients from the water, seagrasses also act as a filter to improve water quality and prevent harmful algal blooms. In addition, seagrass can combat climate change, and store twice as much carbon per area as tropical forests. At the same time, plants act as the lungs of the sea, producing 10 liters of oxygen per day for each square meter of seagrass.  

Restoring Seagrass in Coastal Waters

With all of the benefits seagrass offers, it is a major conservation priority to protect and expand this habitat. As climate change brings more intensive precipitation events, warmer temperatures, and increased sea levels, our coastal ecosystems, including seagrass, are feeling the impacts. To support this goal, numerous efforts are being made across the Commonwealth and beyond to educate, protect, and restore seagrass in coastal waters. Most commonly, beds are restored through transplanting live shoots from healthy nearby donor beds, or harvesting and planting seeds.  

The MVPC environmental team has been actively involved in eelgrass restoration efforts since 2014. Partnering with academic institutions, community groups, and municipal and state departments and officials, MVPC has helped to study and pilot eelgrass restoration within the Great Marsh. In July, the team had the chance to support these efforts again, assisting with restoration work in Essex Bay. Through using a healthy and dense local eelgrass bed as a donor site, the team collected shoots and transplanted them at a new pilot site in Essex Bay. Over the next 6 months, the newly transplanted eelgrass will continue to be monitored and assessed to ensure a successful effort is reached.  

To learn more about eelgrass, and find out what you can do to help, download and print our Eelgrass Guide! For more information on what MVPC’s Environmental Program has been up to, check out our program page.  

Photo take by: Nedret Andre (www.nedretandre.com)