How Can Eelgrass Be Restored?

While eelgrass beds get extra protection under the Federal Clean Water Act, state policy regarding eelgrass protection is broad and allows activities that are destructive to remaining eelgrass. Poor water quality has a very negative effect on eelgrass, and restoration depends on improving that water quality. One option for improvement is to reduce nutrient loading. This can be done on a voluntary basis by wastewater treatment facilities and limited use of fertilizers by coastal property owners and farm lands. Providing coastal homeowners and managers of larger parcels of coastal property with educational tools and technical support to voluntarily reduce nutrient pollution (e.g. fertilizer run-off and septic system discharges) is an important step toward reducing the amount of nutrients released to coastal waters.

An advocate for public policy reform to improve water conditions and promote eelgrass viability is essential to this process. Many specific sources of these nutrients are known, such as coastal septic systems, fertilizer runoff from lawns, and wastewater treatment plant discharges, and over the past years our coastal water quality has improved in areas due to improved resource management practices. For example, new water treatment protocols in Boston Harbor drastically improved the water quality in the harbor and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is working on controls of nutrient input to coastal waters.

Balance Between Humans and Nature: Eelgrass