Recovery of Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in Casco Bay, Maine, Following Destruction by European Green Crabs Completed
Eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Eelgrass transplant plots in and out of replicate crab exclosures
Eelgrass provides essential functions to the ecology and economy of Maine’s coastal zone. When over half the eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, disappeared between 2012 and 2013, USGS experimental evidence identified disturbance from invasive European green crabs as the leading cause. Natural revegetation is occurring, but there is interest in learning whether restoration may hasten recover.
The Challenge: Eelgrass provides essential functions to the ecology and economy of Maine’s coastal zone. When over half the eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, disappeared between 2012 and 2013, USGS experimental evidence identified disturbance from invasive European green crabs as the leading cause. Loss of vegetation is expected to precipitate a range of impacts, including reduced fish and wildlife populations, degraded water quality, increased shoreline erosion, and reduced capacity to remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate coastal acidification. Therefore, reversing eelgrass loss in Casco Bay is of critical ecological and economic importance.
The Science: A large partnership formed to determine approaches for eelgrass restoration that yield the highest success rates in the fine sediments of upper Casco Bay and to build local capacity for eelgrass restoration. Specific project objectives were to identify sites that are suitable for large-scale restoration, determine eelgrass transplant methods that yield the highest success rate, determine whether green crab control is required to restore eelgrass in Casco Bay, and identify environmental factors contributing to measured rates of eelgrass restoration success.
The Future: This project helped inform the best methods to restore eelgrass beds in upper Casco Bay to hasten ecosystem recovery. Most importantly, by involving a large cadre of professionals from federal, state, local government, and nongovernmental organizations with interest in and responsibility for eelgrass conservation and management in Casco Bay, this project built state-wide capacity for eelgrass restoration.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Distribution and diversity of tunicates utilizing eelgrass as substrate in the western North Atlantic between 39° and 47° north latitude (New Jersey to Newfoundland)
Loss of eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, linked to Green Crab disturbance
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Eelgrass provides essential functions to the ecology and economy of Maine’s coastal zone. When over half the eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, disappeared between 2012 and 2013, USGS experimental evidence identified disturbance from invasive European green crabs as the leading cause. Natural revegetation is occurring, but there is interest in learning whether restoration may hasten recover.
The Challenge: Eelgrass provides essential functions to the ecology and economy of Maine’s coastal zone. When over half the eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, disappeared between 2012 and 2013, USGS experimental evidence identified disturbance from invasive European green crabs as the leading cause. Loss of vegetation is expected to precipitate a range of impacts, including reduced fish and wildlife populations, degraded water quality, increased shoreline erosion, and reduced capacity to remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate coastal acidification. Therefore, reversing eelgrass loss in Casco Bay is of critical ecological and economic importance.
The Science: A large partnership formed to determine approaches for eelgrass restoration that yield the highest success rates in the fine sediments of upper Casco Bay and to build local capacity for eelgrass restoration. Specific project objectives were to identify sites that are suitable for large-scale restoration, determine eelgrass transplant methods that yield the highest success rate, determine whether green crab control is required to restore eelgrass in Casco Bay, and identify environmental factors contributing to measured rates of eelgrass restoration success.
The Future: This project helped inform the best methods to restore eelgrass beds in upper Casco Bay to hasten ecosystem recovery. Most importantly, by involving a large cadre of professionals from federal, state, local government, and nongovernmental organizations with interest in and responsibility for eelgrass conservation and management in Casco Bay, this project built state-wide capacity for eelgrass restoration.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Distribution and diversity of tunicates utilizing eelgrass as substrate in the western North Atlantic between 39° and 47° north latitude (New Jersey to Newfoundland)
Seagrass meadows are ecologically important habitats that are declining globally at an accelerating rate due to natural and anthropogenic stressors. Their decline is a serious concern as this habitat provides many ecosystem services. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is the dominant seagrass species in the western North Atlantic. It has recently been established that invasive tunicate species possibly thrAuthorsM R Carman, Phillip D Colarusso, Eric P Nelson, David W Grunden, Melisa C Wong, Cynthia McKenzie, Kyle Matheson, Jeffrey G. Davidson, Sophia Fox, Hilary A. Neckles, Holly Bayley, Stephen Schott, Jennifer A Dijkstra, Sarah Stewart-ClarkLoss of eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine, linked to Green Crab disturbance
Over half of the Zostera marina (Eelgrass) cover disappeared from Casco Bay, ME, largely between 2012 and 2013. Eelgrass decline coincided with a population explosion of the invasive crab Carcinus maenas (European Green Crab). Green Crabs have been found to damage Eelgrass in Atlantic Canada through foraging activity, but destruction of established beds had not been documented in Maine. My objectiAuthorsHilary A. Neckles - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.