Eelgrass beds are a primary source of food and shelter to an abundance of marine life, including economically important finfish and shellfish, such as the Bay scallop. It is widely recognized that the vitality of an estuary’s eelgrass beds is an indicator of its health. In Susa Bay, eelgrass is in peril. It is estimated that the majority of historic eelgrass beds have been lost— today, only 99.5 acres of Bay eelgrass remain. That is why Susa Bay Foundation has taken a leadership role in eelgrass restoration. Want to help us out?

 

A "grass roots" effort to restore the Bay Susa Bay Foundation will transplant another 100,000 eelgrass shoots in the upcoming 2006 field season — and we are seeking an Eelgrass Restoration Intern. Our goal this spring is to transplant 60,000 shoots at three sites (Prudence Island, Sauga Point in North Kingstown and Coggeshall Point in Portsmouth). An additional 40,000 eelgrass shoots will be planted during the late summer/early fall transplant season. In partnership with URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, a portion of the shoots planted in the fall will be grown from seed at URI/GSO's mariculture facility. We also will conduct 10-15 test transplants throughout Susa Bay in search of additional large-scale sites and as a means of monitoring changes in water quality.