What affects eelgrass?
What exactly are the factors that affect eelgrass? Like other plants, eelgrass needs light, nutrients, and the appropriate surface on which to grow. Nutrients and suspended sediments in the water control the amount and quality of light reaching eelgrass beds. However, excess nutrients in the water, (often from fertilizer in the runoff of nearby lands) can spur the growth of algae on eelgrass leaves and in the water – limiting eelgrass growth by reducing the amount of light that reaches eelgrass leaves. In Puget Sound suspended solids such as silt and other particles in the water also reduce the amount of light available to reach the seabed. These suspended solids come from erosion runoff, dredging, river flow, and storms. Another threat to eelgrass comes from people altering the shoreline to protect, or support, shoreline property developments. Structures, such as bulkheads, can increase wave energy and alter eelgrass growth. The result can be nearshore areas that are less able to supp
