Eelgrass Restoration Research Project with Dalhousie FOME Lab

In Nova Scotia the distribution and health of eelgrass meadows remain to be well understood, and many residents have noted losses of eelgrass meadows within their local communities. We want to ensure the benefits provided by eelgrass – ie. nursery habitat, water quality & clarity, protection from coastal erosion, carbon sequestration – are not lost in areas where eelgrass declines have been observed.

The Ecology Action Centre has partnered with Dalhousie Future of Marine Ecosystems Lab. Together we've spent the summer piloting an eelgrass restoration research project based in Port Medway, NS!

Historically, eelgrass restoration efforts have had varying levels of success, and very little restoration work has been done in Nova Scotia. We are working to find the most effective and scalable eelgrass restoration method for Nova Scotian waters.

A healthy and dense eelgrass meadow was chosen as a donor site, where we would harvest eelgrass seeds, shoots, and sods to use in the study.

With the materials harvested, we carried on to the experimental setup to cross-examine 4 different eelgrass restoration methods. Along our experimental transect lines, a total of 6000 seeds, 250 shoots, and 25 sods were planted! We are super excited to see the results next year, and hope you are too! Stay tuned for updates.

Method #1 - Planting individual eelgrass seeds

Method #2 - Burlap bags containing 50 eelgrass seeds and sediment

Method #3 - Transplanting individual eelgrass shoots

Method # 4 - Transplanting eelgrass sods containing multiple shoots & sediment

Posted on August 24, 2022 03:48 PM by eaceelgrassteam