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Seagrass restoration from the Chesapeake to Casco Bay
Maine is famous for its coastline and fishing industry. But the ecosystems that sustain coastal communities and fisheries are some of the most vulnerable to climate change and other human pressures.
I just published a pair of stories about seagrass meadows, which local scientist Glenn Page calls “the world’s greatest kindergarten” for young fish, lobster and other sea creatures. Seagrass used to grow abundantly along Maine’s coast, but it has been declining rapidly since at least the 1990s.
Photographer Jamie Walter and I recently tagged along with Page and a team of scientific divers racing to understand and save these underwater meadows. To learn more and see what these stunning ecosystems look like when they’re healthy, check out our story published last week.
I also spoke with a scientist in Virginia who manages one of the world’s longest-running seagrass monitoring and restoration programs. The experiences of scientists tracking and successfully restoring seagrass there offers hope and lessons for the efforts here in Maine.
Another coastal ecosystem that Maine used to have is wild oyster reefs. While the state has a booming oyster farming industry, wild oysters have all but died out here. Abi Brissett, who finishes her summer fellowship with The Maine Monitor today, recently covered efforts to restore these reefs to Maine’s coast, which may prove to be even more challenging than restoring seagrass. |
