Volunteers Prepping Seagrass for Planting in Back Bay

Divers have been busy this week weeding out eelgrass from the Lower Bay, and bringing it above water in preparation for its replanting into the Upper Newport Bay.

The eelgrass project is part of a marine habitat restoration project led by Orange County Coastkeeper. Volunteer divers began extracting the eelgrass earlier this week from the Lower Bay where it is still growing naturally, according to Pamela Crouch, the group's spokeswoman. After bringing it to the Back Bay Science Center's dock in buckets, the volunteers sifted through the muddy eelgrass and bundled it for replantation into the Upper Newport Bay.

"At one time there were acres of eelgrass in the Upper Newport Bay but because of poor water quality and other factors it disappeared," Crouch explained.

Eelgrass, a native seagrass, is a habitat for a variety of fish species and serves as their nursing grounds. Crouch said the eelgrass helps increase diversity and the abundance of species native to the Newport Bay.

Volunteers said they were eager to help restore eelgrass and contribute to a healthier ecosystem.

"We have found mussels, worms, seashells and other microscopic things that sting a little. But I am so excited to help with this project," volunteer Demara Fletcher, of Garden Grove, said. "I am a scuba diver so anything that makes the water clearer and can make it a more fascinating dive, I am more than happy to be a part of." 

The group's goal is to replant about 400 square meters of the eelgrass in a section of the Back Bay where it has struggled to grow on its own.

"The eelgrass will specifically be planted near the De Anza Peninsula," Crouch said. "We are grateful to our volunteers because eelgrass is really important."

The restoration project was conducted along with Coastal Resources Management and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Funding for the project came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Restoration Center’s Community-Based Restoration Program and the State Coastal Conservancy.

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