Why are eelgrass meadows important?
• Eelgrass beds assist with coastal protection by providing a physical baffle (leaves) and reducing erosion (roots & rhizomes).

• The beds support a high biodiversity of species. It has been estimated that over 80% of all commercial fish and shellfish species depend on eelgrass habitat for at least part of their lifecycle.

• Eelgrass contributes to marine food webs, and is carried by tides and currents throughout the ocean.

• Seagrasses like eelgrass play a critical role in global climate and ocean cycles. Recent reports by the United Nations Environmental Protection Department demonstrate the value and urgency of seagrass conservation: We are becoming aware of the role that seagrass plays in the climatic and oceanic carbon cycles and in coastal protection. The true economic value is difficult to measure, but work suggests it is immense. Seagrass beds have been overlooked by conservationists and coastal development planners throughout their range. Biosphere restoration must include seagrass conservation and restoration.

• Eelgrass is protected by law, under the Federal Fisheries Act, due to its high fisheries value
(primary production, substrate for food organisms, spawning substrate and cover).

••••• Photo: Ramona de Graaf

How can they be damaged?
Common causes of eelgrass loss include:
• Shading by overwater structures such as docks and log booms
• Degraded water quality (run-off of fertilizers from gardens and farms, for example)
• Structures along the shore (shoreline hardening - cement retaining walls)
• Dredging
• Intense trampling at low tide (kayak paths)
• Intensive recreational boat anchoring into soft muddy bottoms
• Intensive shellfish harvesting

What we can do?
• Minimize the area of shoreline disturbed by construction activities. Upland erosion and construction activities can increase sedimentation flow down freshwater streams, which can smother eelgrass plants and destroy the homes and feeding grounds of migratory birds, salmon and shellfish.

• Protect trees, shrubs and grasses near the shoreline. Physical alteration of the shoreline to protect or support coastal properties can increase wave energy and alter substrate type creating nearshore areas less able to support eelgrass beds.

• Leave the site as natural as possible to prevent interruption of ocean currents and reduce the potential for beach erosion.

• Protect a wide shoreline buffer of vegetation to filter pollutants, such as fertilizers and surface water flowing from pavements. Buffers also protect soil from eroding and mitigate the effects of flooding. Herbicides and pesticides used excessively on lawns and garden plants can kill or damage eelgrass beds and the animals that live in them.

• Consider sharing a dock to reduce their number and impacts on the near shore, or use a mooring float to tie your boat to. Consider alternative construction practices for docks that allow sunlight to penetrate eelgrass meadows.