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Subtidal Eelgrass Declines in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and Maine, USA

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Abstract

Long-term monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) beds in the central subtidal portion of the Great Bay Estuary showed declines at both transplanted sites and reference beds. Eelgrass beds transplanted as mitigation for habitat loss from port development reached comparable functions (e.g., primary production, canopy structure) to natural reference sites by the late 1990s, within 6 years of transplanting. Data from 2001 to the present show significant declines in eelgrass parameters (biomass, shoot density, canopy height, leaf area) at all sites, suggesting that these declines are the result of an estuary-wide factor.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the UNH Seagrass Lab for comments on the manuscript and C. Short for editing. Thanks also to A. Novak, C. Ochieng, T. Evans, J. Gaeckle, K. Matso, and R. Davis for their work on the NHPA project and other UNH students who participated in the field and laboratory work. Funding was provided by the New Hampshire Port Authority and the University of New Hampshire. Jackson Estuarine Laboratory contribution number 474.

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  1. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, 85 Adams Point Road, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Nora T. Beem & Frederick T. Short

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  1. Nora T. Beem
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  2. Frederick T. Short
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Correspondence to Frederick T. Short.

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Beem, N.T., Short, F.T. Subtidal Eelgrass Declines in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and Maine, USA. Estuaries and Coasts 32, 202–205 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-008-9110-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-008-9110-3

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