 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |
Eelgrass (Zostera marina)
The Tabusintac watershed has many natural resources and eelgrass is one of them. Eelgrass, known as seaweed in the past, has rebounded since the 1930s after an eelgrass wasting disease hit many international seagrass beds and reduced them up to 90% without many not being able to recover to this day.
Eelgrass beds provide many services and benefits to our community:
-
Habitat and nurseries- different species that are economically, culturally, and traditionally important, such as lobster, salmon, and shellfish, rely on these areas
-
Water quality- filters pollutants and allows for sediments to settle
-
Coastal protection- reduces coastal erosion by absorbing wave energy and trapping sediments
-
Carbon sequestration- absorbs carbon dioxide and stores it
-
Food source- for various of marine organisms, including migratiory waterfowl, and some species of fish
-
Oxygen production- a flowering plant that provides oxygen
Monitoring
Eelgrass is used as an indicator of estuary health because they respond to many natural and anthropogenic impacts. Changes in densities and locations will likely affect other species that depend on eelgrass habitat.
TWA has been monitoring eelgrass since 2015
Tabusintac watershed has one of the best eelgrass meadows in the world!
Little was known about eelgrass- especially during their life cycle under the ice. TWA and partners, as the Ecology Action Centre, Miramichi River Environmental Assessment Committee, Nicholas Winkler Photography, and Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative, has provided support to gather more data on the eelgrass beds in the Tabusintac watershed.
©️Nicolas Winkler Photography
