In addition to the term SAV, some coastal managers use the term SRV or submerged rooted vegetation. This distinguishes them from algae, which are not classified as “plants” by biologists (rather they are often placed in the kingdom Protista), and distinguishes them from the “emergent” saltwater plants found in salt marshes. Eelgrass and other seagrasses are often referred to as “Submerged Aquatic Vegetation” or SAV. Zostera marina L., or eelgrass, is a subtidal marine flowering vascular plant (angiosperm), with all stages of the life cycle occurring underwater, including flowering, pollination, and seed germination. These glaciers formed the complex network of shallow embayments, drowned river valleys, and estuaries that now make up Buzzards Bay. Glaciers that receded about 12,000 years ago formed Buzzards Bay. Buzzards Bay is moderately well flushed and exchanges water with Rhode Island Sound to the southwest, with Vineyard Sound through passages in the Elizabeth Islands, and with Massachusetts Bay through the Cape Cod Canal at its northern end. The Bay is 28 miles long, has a mean width of 9 miles, covers 235 square miles, and has a mean depth of approximately 36 feet. Cape Cod and the southern edge by the Elizabeth Islands form the eastern edge of the Bay. The Buzzards Bay Settingīuzzards Bay is a semi-enclosed embayment located along the southeastern coast of Massachusetts. In 2005, DEP made available its maps from a survey based on a 2001 aerial survey, and future surveys will be undertaken. In the late 1990s, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection conducted a new survey of eelgrass in Buzzards Bay based on a aerial survey, and summertime 1996 surveys. Because historical aerial photographs of this region span 65 years, these older photographs were recognized as an important tool for documenting historical changes, and identifying these critical limits. It was expected that this eelgrass monitoring would be part of a strategy to document specific ecosystem changes to changes in nitrogen loading, and to help establish embayment-specific nitrogen loading targets or annual critical loads. In the CCMP monitoring plan, it was recommended that this eelgrass habitat be mapped every three to five years to document human impacts and the success of management action to reduce nitrogen inputs and other water quality impacts (Buzzards Bay NEP, 1991, Volume 3). In this management plan, the loss of eelgrass, due to excessive discharge of nitrogen from human sources associated with development, and other human activities, was identified as a priority concern that required management action.īecause eelgrass has been recognized as a sensitive indicator of nitrogen loadings and because the distribution and abundance of eelgrass beds can be easily documented with aerial photographs, it is an ideal habitat to track to monitor overall ecosystem health. In 1991, after characterizing water quality and habitat problems of Buzzards Bay, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program developed a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan that included strategies to protect and restore wetlands, habitat, and water quality and living resources in Buzzards Bay. thesis (Costa, 1998b), which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. This work incorporated many elements of Costa’s Ph.D. The Costa survey documented both existing distribution and historical trends of eelgrass abundance in Buzzards Bay. For these reasons, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program funded a study of eelgrass distribution in Buzzards Bay (Costa, 1988a), which was based on historical aerial photographs, field surveys, and sediment cores. The widespread distribution of eelgrass in Buzzards Bay, and its sensitivity to pollution also makes it an ideal indicator species for changes in water quality. However, because eelgrass beds grow underwater, this habitat generally goes unnoticed except by boaters, shellfisherman and divers. In Buzzards Bay, eelgrass is an important habitat, and today eelgrass beds are more extensive than salt marshes. As such, eelgrass beds, as well as other seagrasses, often have become the center of resource management initiatives to protect them. Eelgrass beds are highly productive communities, and are ecologically important because they act as a nursery, habitat, and feeding ground for many fish, waterfowl, and invertebrates. Photo credit Joe Costa Eelgrass in the Buzzards Bay EnvironmentĮelgrass ( Zostera marina L.) is a sub-tidal marine angiosperm, or “seagrass,” that grows in temperate waters, often forming extensive underwater meadows. Eelgrass in shallow waters at Uncatena Island (near Naushon Island in Buzzards Bay).
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