Welcome to SeagrassSoundings Blog

Welcome to SeagrassSoundings Blog



SeagrassSoundings focuses on the work that scientists and managers are doing to protect, preserve, study, restore and monitor seagrass in Massachusetts and throughout New England.


Monday, August 17, 2015

Eelgrass Volunteer Event with Thompson Island Green Ambassadors


On the morning of July 14, 2015 the MarineFisheries habitat team arrived at Thompson Island in Boston Harbor with nearly 4,000 freshly harvest eelgrass shoots and a boatload of planting equipment. The Outward Bound's Green Ambassadors were eager and interested to learn about eelgrass restoration efforts. These high-schoolers have been participating in a variety of terrestrial habitat restoration projects around Thompson Island and were ready to get their hands wet.


After a presentation about marine biology careers, eelgrass ecology and resource management, the group got to work. Volunteers tied eelgrass shoots to TERFs or "Transplanting Eelgrass Remotely with Frames" units. After a couple of hours and a quick thunderstorm, we had a total of 40 frames tied and ready to be deployed. Without the help of the Green Ambassadors, the divers would have been preparing the frames for at least a full day. 

keep scrolling for more pictures and details about planting...


We quickly loaded the TERFs on the boat, said our goodbyes and headed out to Peddocks Island. Divers brought the TERFs underwater and secured them to the sediment using long metal stakes, every 2 meters along an 80 meter transect parallel to shore in approximately 8 feet of water (MLW). Sediment was sandy with gravel and shell hash - a bottom type that has been beneficial at several of our successful restoration sites. We are hopeful that this site's sediment, water quality, light penetration and energy characteristics prove suitable for our transplants to thrive - and look forward to checking in on them later this summer.

THANK YOU to the coordinators and volunteers at Thompson Island.

Have questions? Contact Jill Carr at 978-282-0308 x108 or jillian.carr@state.ma.us.