Abstract
Wild gathering of the leaves of the submerged marine monocotyledon Zostera marina L. once formed the basis of a vigorous insulation industry in North America. Since European colonization, fishing communities used detached leaves, deposited on the beach by tide and wind, as green manure and domestic insulation, but beginning in the late 1800s, these leaves were utilized in a commercial insulating product. Two companies manufactured seagrass “quilts” that were installed in many buildings of the period including some of the first skyscrapers. We here describe the importance of seagrass gathering for the coastal community of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Interviews with older residents and analysis of county and company archives facilitate the reconstruction of what was once a seasonally important activity. Our findings have direct application to global seagrass protection initiatives.
Résumé
L’assemblage sauvage des feuilles submergés du monocotyledon marine, Zostera marina formait a un moment les bases d’une industrie d’isolation en Amérique du Nord. Depuis la colonisation Européenne, des communautés de pêcheurs utilisaient des feuilles détachées, déposées sur la plage par la marée et le vent comme engrais vert et isolation domestique; mais commençant à la fin des années 1800, ces feuilles séparées furent utilisées dans un produit commercial insultant. Deux compagnies manufacturaient des “édredons” de pailleule qui furent installées dans plusieurs bâtiments de l’époque y compris dans certains des grattes-ciel. Nous décrirons ici l’importance de l’assemblage de la pailleule pour la communauté côtière de Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Des entretiens avec des résidents d’un certain âge ainsi qu’une analyse du département et des archives de compagnies, facilitent la reconstruction de ce qui était à une époque, une activité saisonnière importante. Nos découvertes ont une application directes sur les initiatives de la protection globale de la pailleule.
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Wyllie-Echeverria, S., Alan Cox, P. The seagrass (Zostera marina [zosteraceae]) industry of Nova Scotia (1907–1960). Econ Bot 53, 419–426 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866721
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866721