New findings show growth in critical habitat

Eelgrass beds have shown signs of expansion in parts of Puget Sound in recent years.

A new report issued by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources found sites with increased eelgrass area outnumbered sites with declining eelgrass between 2010 and 2014. This reverses the previously observed pattern in Puget Sound. The rebound was most pronounced in lower Hood Canal.

Seagrasses provide nearshore nursery grounds and shelter for many species. They also serve as a spyglass into the health of Washington’s saltwater environment.

“We have a long way to go in the protection and restoration of Puget Sound, but it’s encouraging to see some positive news,” said Megan Duffy, DNR’s deputy supervisor for aquatics and geology “DNR has committed attention and resources to protecting and restoring seagrass meadows. This report only strengthens that commitment.”

In 2014, eelgrass covered some 24,300 hectares of Puget Sound. That is slightly above the 2016 target set by Gov. Jay Inslee’s Results Washington initiative to track eelgrass coverage in Washington. Recent improvements in Puget Sound are notable because seagrass meadows are globally in decline.

As the steward of state-owned aquatic lands, where the majority of eelgrass beds grow, DNR is at the forefront of efforts to understand and improve Washington seagrasses. The agency’s land management, aquatic restoration and derelict vessel programs contribute to the protection of this valuable habitat.

Further study needed

Questions remain about why recent years have been relatively good for seagrass growth in Puget Sound.

“Seagrass beds are sensitive to a wide variety of stressors, which makes them a great bio-indicator of ecosystem health. We are starting studies to identify which stressors dominate at selected locations,” said Bart Christiaen, seagrass scientist at DNR and lead author of the report. “These increases are exciting. We are currently analyzing data from our monitoring efforts in 2015 to see if they persisted despite the anomalous weather conditions.”

The full report is available at: http://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/aqr_nrsh_svmp_report_2014.pdf