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Eelgrass
Zostera marina
Eelgrass project aims to harness power of plants
By Lara Gerrits, The Tri-City News, August 31, 2007
Biologists hope the second time’s a charm when it comes to a
unique biodiversity-boosting project in the Burrard Inlet.
About 500 eelgrass plants — taken from the waters of Roberts Bank
in Delta, soon to be affected by the DeltaPort expansion — were
harvested near Port Moody’s Rocky Point Park Sunday as part
of a three-year Pacific WildLife Foundation (PWF) project.
Although a similar exercise happened last March, new grant money
from a federal government environmental damages fund has extended
that into a full-fledged three-year project. If the grass thrives,
it will boost the food supply for more than 200 species of marine
invertebrates, 70 species of fish and 80 species of birds, said
PWF president Rob Butler. It will also assist with coastal
protection by providing a physical baffle and reducing erosion.
Thirteen volunteers clad in chest-waders ventured into the water —
away from areas where motor boats travel — and embedded the grass
into mud with an iron washer and paper-coated twist tie. Both the
twist tie and iron washer will eventually rust away, adding the
essential mineral to the water.
The last transplant wasn’t successful because the grass was too
close to shore and had too much sun exposure during low tide. This
time, however, volunteers planted further out.
“We not only want to plant near Rocky Point pier but we want to
look at other areas in the inlet and possibly a next site would be
the Mossom Creek estuary,” Foster said.
Eelgrass is protected by law under the Federal Fisheries Act.
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