Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Restoration on Bainbridge Island: Habitat Creation, Experimental Reintroduction, and Best Practices at the Old Milwaukee Dock Site
Presentation Abstract
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is considered essential habitat in the Salish Sea nearshore ecosystem, and the Puget Sound Partnership has recommended that eelgrass abundance be increased at least 20% by the year 2020. However, restoring eelgrass is often difficult, and the outcome is rarely guaranteed due to a complex environment and numerous anthropogenic stressors. Frequently, restoration cannot even begin until these stressors are understood and reduced, or appropriate habitat has been created, to support eelgrass populations. In central Puget Sound, the Elliott Bay Trustee Council is supporting a project, guided by a collaborative team that includes federal, state, and tribal researchers, to restore eelgrass on Bainbridge Island off the old Milwaukee Dock site. This work is attempting to create eelgrass habitat by filling in the dredged depressions before restoration. The subsequent reintroduction of the eelgrass to the new substrate is being conducted in an array of experimental plots to evaluate seasonality, differences in donor stock, and planting methodology. While the overall goal of the project is to increase eelgrass in the area, the intent of this aggressive experimental design is to advance the science of eelgrass restoration and improve the techniques used in the Salish Sea.
Session Title
Session S-07E: Aquatic Vegetation
Conference Track
Habitat
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 6:30 PM
Location
Room 6C
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Zostera marina--Transplanting--Washington (State)--Bainbridge Island; Estuarine restoration--Washington (State)--Bainbridge Island
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Puget Sound Partnership
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Bainbridge Island (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Restoration on Bainbridge Island: Habitat Creation, Experimental Reintroduction, and Best Practices at the Old Milwaukee Dock Site
Room 6C
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is considered essential habitat in the Salish Sea nearshore ecosystem, and the Puget Sound Partnership has recommended that eelgrass abundance be increased at least 20% by the year 2020. However, restoring eelgrass is often difficult, and the outcome is rarely guaranteed due to a complex environment and numerous anthropogenic stressors. Frequently, restoration cannot even begin until these stressors are understood and reduced, or appropriate habitat has been created, to support eelgrass populations. In central Puget Sound, the Elliott Bay Trustee Council is supporting a project, guided by a collaborative team that includes federal, state, and tribal researchers, to restore eelgrass on Bainbridge Island off the old Milwaukee Dock site. This work is attempting to create eelgrass habitat by filling in the dredged depressions before restoration. The subsequent reintroduction of the eelgrass to the new substrate is being conducted in an array of experimental plots to evaluate seasonality, differences in donor stock, and planting methodology. While the overall goal of the project is to increase eelgrass in the area, the intent of this aggressive experimental design is to advance the science of eelgrass restoration and improve the techniques used in the Salish Sea.
