Eelgrass is a marine flowering plant that provides the foundation for our harbor environment. The value of eelgrass meadows is well documented and includes stabilizing sediments, improving water quality and clarity, mitigating for CO2 emissions, and providing habitat to a number of commercially important and/or endangered species including the last commercially viable “wild” bay scallop fishery in the U.S. The abundance and health of eelgrass has, however, diminished from historic levels in many areas. Over the years the Nantucket Land Council (NLC) has supported eelgrass research that has revealed a need for action.

In 2019, NLC staff continued restoration efforts in Nantucket Harbor, transplanting over 15,000 eelgrass shoots from Hussey shoal to the transplant site off Monomoy. This critical work could not have been accomplished without guidance from our eelgrass expert Dr. Alyssa Novak…  read more.