Bird droppings will feed seagrass

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 05, 2003 Source: Keynoter.com Submitted By: Gina Grounding site in Middle Keys 1st area targeted Biologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Damage Assessment Center plan to call on their feathered friends to help restore injured seagrass beds in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA biologists will begin installing a series of bird stakes, vertical PVC pipes topped by wooden blocks, to restore several seagrass beds injured by boat groundings from Key West to Key Largo over the next few months. Weather permitting, work will begin in the next few weeks at a site near Marathon, where the boat N’Control ran aground. The use of bird stakes is one of several methods NOAA biologists are using to restore seagrass beds injured by vessel groundings. Biologists line injured areas with the stakes, which provide attractive roosting areas for cormorants and other seabirds. The bird droppings provide a jolt of fertilizer to the area below, helping to speed the growth of shoal grass. Shoal grass is a first colonizer of barren areas, preparing the way for other species, such as turtle grass and manatee grass, to grow once again. Sean Meehan and Kevin Kirsch are the lead NOAA biologists in this seagrass restoration project. "We think it’s fitting that the first in a series of seagrass restoration projects coincides with Seagrass Awareness Month in March," said Meehan. "While we prefer to prevent boat groundings in the first place, we are happy that recently developed seagrass restoration techniques give us an alternative to watching these sites undergo a painfully slow recovery, or worse, continue to degrade." The N’Control, owned and operated by Marathon resident and Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, ran aground at 3 p.m. on May 29, 2001, off Knight Key Channel near Marathon. The grounding and subsequent salvage of the 45-foot Sea Ray injured 3,762 square feet of seagrass habitat – an area larger than a tennis court. Last July 18, NOAA settled the case for $30, 573. To restore the site, Meehan and Kirsch will install 97 stakes that will remain in place for about 18 months. In addition to the bird stakes, they will also use seagrass transplants to hasten the site’s recovery. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act authorizes NOAA to seek damages from the responsible party in a grounding to cover response costs, injury assessment costs, costs to restore or replace the injured habitat or acquire equivalent habitat, and costs to compensate the public for the value of the injured resources until they fully recover. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary averages more than 600 reported vessel groundings each year. In 2002, 128 reports resulted in warnings or citations for the vessel owner or operator. Of these, 122 involved injury to seagrass, while six occurred in coral. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: JimmiXzS 1ALUqZ http://www.FyLitCl7Pf7kjQdDUOLQOuaxTXbj5iNG.com Submitted by: Bradley lX02E7 http://www.FyLitCl7Pf7kjQdDUOLQOuaxTXbj5iNG.com Comment on this item. Next Item: Howie D.' Strikes Personal Efforts to Raise Lupus Awareness in LA Prev Item: Backstreet Boys Eying Fall For Their Next Album