Identifying Sites for Successful Eelgrass Restoration in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Brown University Undergraduate Thesis. Retrieved in November 2011 from http:// envstudies.brown.edu/theses/05Monica_Candal_Thesis.pdf Cebrián

• Main Author: Monica Candal
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1999
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.611.6030; http://envstudies.brown.edu/theses/05Monica_Candal_Thesis.pdf

Humans have greatly altered the environment of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, gradually reducing species populations to their current critical state. In particular, eelgrass, Zostera marina, a species important for the habitat that it provides, has been severely affected. A wasting disease in the 1930’s decimated North Atlantic eelgrass populations, which were unable to recover in Narragansett Bay due to habitat degradation caused by increased human population in the area. In order to combat the problem, Save The Bay, Inc., a local non-profit group, has recently begun efforts to restore eelgrass sites by transplanting eelgrass shoots from natural beds to sites deemed suitable for restoration. Though much can be improved, the organization has led one of the most successful eelgrass restoration efforts to date in Narragansett Bay. This study seeks to amplify current efforts in Narragansett Bay by employing a holistic approach to site suitability. Six sites (three large-scale transplants and three test transplants) were evaluated based upon the following criteria: depth, sediments, current