Fwc Fish And Wildlife Research Institute issued the following announcement on Dec. 08.
Seagrass Seeds
Earlier this year, FWRI’s Seagrass Research group collected over 2,000 turtle grass seedlings as the beginning phase of their newest project, focusing on seagrass restoration. Restoration is set to take place on the Wolf Branch littoral shelf, where seagrass beds experience heavy grazing by local manatee populations. During winters, manatees reside in the warm waters near the TECO power plant in Apollo Beach, FL where their grazing patterns put additional pressure on an already stressed seagrass ecosystem. Restoration of this area will provide more abundant forage for manatees and restore diversity of fish and invertebrate species.
Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is a flowering plant (aka: angiosperm), which blooms in spring and produces fruits in late summer. Once mature enough to open, or ‘dehisce’ as seagrass biologists say, each fruit releases two to four seedlings. Peak season for seedling dispersal is from late July through early August, which is when collection took place at various sites across Pinellas County. The seedlings have since been growing in a nursery-style greenhouse at the FWRI Headquarters in St. Petersburg, FL, where they are doing quite well. Keep your eyes peeled for an update on how the seedlings are doing!
Original source can be found here.
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