Eelgrass Update

In the fall our restoration team was in the field surveying the three eelgrass beds which were planted with the help of our volunteers back in June. Project Watershed created three eelgrass beds, planting nearly 6,000 eelgrass shoots and creating 750m² of new eelgrass habitat near Gartley Point. Eelgrass is vital to coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for crabs, shellfish, and juvenile fish. It also provides erosion control and can act as a significant carbon sink, helping to mitigate climate change related impacts.

While eelgrass beds typically lose a portion of their blades over the winter months, the team was happy to report that all three of the new beds are establishing well and looking healthy! While swimming through the eelgrass the team noticed that plenty of wildlife has already begun to move into the new habitat including Dungeness crabs, buried anemones, giant and hooded nudibranchs, and a host of fish species. We’ll be revisiting these sites again during the spring growing season so stay tuned for more updates and volunteer opportunities!

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