Environment DEC
From the November 2009 issue
Input Sought on Disappearance of Coastal Seagrass
A draft report that presents recommendations for the management of New York State's declining coastal seagrasses was released for public review and input. The report and upcoming public meetings will provide assessments of current seagrass populations and management recommendations to protect and restore this critical marine habitat.
Bay scallops are common inhabitants of eelgrass (Photo: US Geological Survey)
Seagrass is a rooted, flowering plant found in New York's coastal waters. Seagrass--most notably, eelgrass--provides invaluable spawning, nursery and maturation habitat for several important commercial and recreational fish and shellfish. Seagrass also improves water quality, is an integral part of marine nutrient cycles and is an important component of the marine and coastal food webs.
While historic seagrass acreage in New York has not been documented, old photographs and records indicate that there may have been as much as 200,000 acres in 1930; today, only 21,803 acres remain. Challenges facing seagrasses include nutrient-heavy runoff and other discharges, decreased water quality and clarity, large phytoplankton blooms, habitat degradation, fishing gear and boating activities and climate change.
The report recommends reducing nutrient discharges to coastal and marine waters and other measures to protect seagrass habitat. (Photo: US Geological Survey)
The draft, Report of the New York State Seagrass Task Force: Recommendations to the New York State Governor and Legislature is now available for review on DEC's website. The recommendations include reducing nutrient discharges to coastal and marine waters which directly and indirectly threaten seagrass health, increasing public awareness of the importance of seagrasses and establishing water quality standards to protect seagrass habitat.
Meetings and Comments
Three meetings have been scheduled to provide a presentation on seagrasses and the findings and recommendations in the draft report, followed by a discussion and opportunity for the public to comment. Meeting details are below:
Nassau County, Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Baldwin Public Library, 2385 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510
6 to 7:30 PM
Suffolk County, Thursday, November 12, 2009
Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead, New York 11901
5 to 6:30 PM
New York City, Tuesday, November 17, 2009
National Park Service, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Visitor Contact Station, Gateway National Recreation Area
3 to 4:30 PM
Written comments on the report can be submitted to DEC until November 25, 2009. Requests for information on the public meetings and comments on the draft report may be submitted to: Karen Chytalo, NYSDEC Bureau of Marine Resources, 205 N Belle Meade Rd., Suite 1, East Setauket, NY 11733, call 631-444-0430 or e-mail fwmarine@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Please use NYS Seagrass Task Force Report as the subject of your e-mail.
