Why Restore Seagrass Beds?
Since the 1800s, approximately 80 percent of the seagrass coverage in Tampa Bay has been lost mainly due to human activities. Ninety percent of the seagrass loss occurred between 1950 and 1982. Seagrasses are both economically and environmentally important; therefore, existing seagrass beds need to be preserved and expanded. Restoration of Tampa Bay’s seagrass beds will not only improve water quality, but will also benefit important fishery species such as snook, seatrout, and shrimp. Whether it is the relocation of an entire bed or the removal of random plugs from an existing bed, the use of donor beds is necessary for seagrass restoration at this time. Currently, we are working on a tissue-culture technique, micropropagation, that could provide sustainable stocks of seagrass for restoration projects without causing extensive damage to existing seagrass beds. What is Micropropagation? Micropropagation is a way to clone plants axenically (sterile). Terminal buds collected from branches
