September EcoQuest

Seagrass September

In September, we teamed up with the NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) to identify patches of submerged marine plant species to research and protect!

The main target species for this EcoQuest were Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Widgeon Grass (Ruppia maritima). Helping us find these species allows practitioners to get a better idea of optimal suitability for restoration.

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a marine, perennial, vascular flowering plant commonly found in saline waters up to 24 feet deep. Eelgrass can form large beds on the seafloor that are some of the most productive habitats on earth. While it is found further out on Long Island, Long Island Sound, and on the NJ Atlantic Coast, eelgrass is largely considered to be locally extinct to the NY-NJ Harbor. However, some patches may remain!

Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) is a marine, annual, vascular flowering plant found in saline or brackish waters up to 9 feet deep. Widgeon grass also provides habitat (though generally not forming thick beds like eelgrass), can oxygenate the water, and its pioneering nature may pave the way for the more vulnerable eelgrass.

The iNaturalist project for this EcoQuest will continue to collect observations of Eelgrass, Widgeon Grass, and other aquatic plants made in the waters surrounding NYC beyond the month of September.