What is a prop scar?
A propeller scar or “prop scar” is a trench cut into the bay bottom by a propeller that cuts the roots and rhizomes of the seagrass plant loose. The amount of time required for a prop scar to heal is highly variable. Several factors such as species of seagrass present, the type of bottom sediments, and the velocity and direction of currents all play a role in prop scar recovery. In the best scenario, a scar in a sandy shoal grass flat may recover in year. Scars in soft substrate containing turtle grass may take from two up to seven years. Scars that channel currents down them can erode deeper and wider and may never recover. In general, turtle grass takes the longest to recover while shoal grass tends to recolonize an area quicker.
