forgotten ecosystem

Every time a port is dredged, it stirs up-
the silt, with similar implications. Each |
time coastal development fills in some | |
shallow coastal waters the same thing |
happens. Every time a propeller cuts into ia
a seagrass bed, every time a boat drops | igo

an anchor into a seagrass

meadow, the delicate plants are ripped
up and torn apart.

I n Papua New Guinea, there is a large logging industry. Unfortunately, when all
the natural jungle is stripped away, the soil becomes unstable, and washes away the
next time it rains. The soil gets into the coastal waters from rivers, decreasing light
penetration, and covering up all the seagrass. This process kills seagrass. Need some
more?

Every pound of human waste we pump out into the ocean carries nitrogen and
phosphates with it. All these extra nutrients promote the growth of algae, which leads
to a process called eutrophication - the excessive algae grew too thickly, which dimin-
ishes the amount of sunlight that reaches seagrass. Aquaculture has the same effects,
only doubled. Not only is prime seagrass habitat destroyed to make space for the fish
and shrimp farms, the extra food and hormones in the water lead to the growth of ‘
algae...

Every time a port is dredged, it stirs up the silt, with similar implications. Each time
coastal development fills in some shallow coastal waters the same thing happens.
Every time a propeller cuts into a seagrass bed, every time a boat drops an anchor into
a seagrass meadow, the delicate plants are ripped up and torn apart.

Seagrass does grow back, but it can take years to make up for the damage that a sin-
gle boat can do in a matter of seconds. That’s why seagrass is going to be extinct if we
don’t do something about it. Right now.

S o what is the first step? Awareness. Until recently, there was no way to gauge
how badly off seagrass was. Now that there is, it’s time to spread the word about these
unknown plants, and to get people feeling really passionate about the stuff. Once peo-
ple know about seagrasses, and recognize that they’re in trouble then conservation
and management efforts can be started because people will be interested in it.

In the last 10 years, coral reefs have gone from being taken for granted, to being rec-
ognized as a delicate and irreplaceable a - where there is a high level of pub-
lic interest in preserving them.

Who knows, maybe next semester PGPIRG will be doing a seagrass awareness
campaign. Seagrasses don’t have to become a memory, they can be saved, as long”
as someone cares.