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Collaborative Effort Restores |
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April 18, 2005 Mobile, AL. Several local partners are teaming up to restore underwater grass beds in coastal Alabama. Their first planting initiative is taking place Tuesday, April 19, 2005 in Weeks Bay Reserve. The project is a culmination of several efforts all coalescing toward the same goal – saving underwater grasses. In 2003, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program secured a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Program to develop a manual and volunteer planting program for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation or underwater sea grasses commonly called “SAV”. The program began researching the different grasses in Alabama coastal waters and how they might be grown and transplanted. Ms. Lisa Allen at Gulf Shores High School was also interested underwater grasses. She was looking for unique projects that would involve her Aqua Science class students. Ms. Allen applied successfully for a mini grant from the Mobile Bay NEP toward the development of growing SAV with her students. In 2004, Dr. Just Cebrian at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab took on the next steps of the Mobile Bay NEP’s grant. He began working with Ms. Allen and developed a local guide for restoring SAV. Margaret Sedlecky at the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was also gaining interest in growing SAV for habitat restoration and education. She began researching opportunities for a new program, “Baldwin County Grasses in Classes” which also incorporates other important native vegetation. So why all the fuss about SAV? Submerged grasses are critical habitat in coastal waters. They provide a food source for waterfowl, turtles, fish and other creatures. SAV provide habitat for juvenile species. These grasses also help to stabilize sediments thus helping to stabilize underwater banks and to prevent erosion. The four partners working together identified a site in need of preservation within Weeks Bay Reserve property. Just simply getting plants and planting them is not so simple. The partners had to get appropriate permission to obtain live plants as well as plant them. The water bottoms and associated SAV are governed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and activities must be approved by the agency. In the case of SAV harvesting, the City of Daphne was notified so water access could be approved. The activity will occur over a two day period. Preparation will begin on Monday, April 18, 2005. Dr. Just Cebrian and his students from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab will collect and prepare young sea grass plugs from the Bay in Daphne for transplant to Weeks Bay. Lisa Allen and her students at Gulf Shores High School will make their final preparations for the following field day, learning planting techniques, and discussing the importance of the project. Ms. Allen’s students will also transplant their own sea grass which they have been growing all year. Margaret Sedlecky, Dr. Scott Phipps, and Mike Shelton of the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will prepare the planting location. They will prepare a grid pattern for planting as well as install a turbidity fence to help protect the young sea grass in an effort to help it become established. So what happens next? Some 30 Gulf Shores High School Students plus scientists and researches will plant Vallisneria americana or tape grass on April 19. The students have grass that they have grown in their classroom. The researchers have young tape grass they have harvested for transplant. Once the project is complete, the team will monitor the success of project. Tape grass cannot be found in herbariums around the Gulf Coast and the team is anxious to see if SAV will survive and thrive. They hope to learn how to expand their program thus planting other types of submerged grasses over the course of the next few years. Many area agencies have noted the value and high priority that SAV have in our coastal environment. This project is one step towards addressing these priorities and preserving coastal habitats. For More Information Contact: Contact:
Lee Yokel,
Outreach and Education
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