Henry Cooper of East Hampton High School introduced a plan to transplant eelgrass from Napeague Harbor to Accabonac Harbor, where they had previously built oyster reefs with the approval of the Trustees.
Bob Tymann, head of the education committee for South Fork Sea Farmers, under whose guidance students have constructed the oyster reefs, introduced Henry Cooper.
The plan calls for biodegradable, three-dimensional lattice sheets called BESE-elements (or Biodegradable Elements for Starting Ecosystems) to be affixed to the sea floor with biodegradable bamboo stakes. Two rows of the BESE sheets will be placed shoreside of two of the three existing oyster reefs in the harbor.
This is inspiring news, as the effort to bring a thriving Eelgrass population to local waters has not been successful in the past despite various initiatives and environmental organizations’ attempts.
The plan will be closely monitored by the students participating in the project under the direction of Bob Tymann and South Fork Sea Farmers. Deputy Clerk John Aldred has requested an annual report be provided to the Trustees as their purview includes the maintenance and management of the local bodies of waterways and bottomland of the harbors. The report will be reviewed and shared with the public annually.
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- Three Mile Harbor: The Peconic Estuary Program monitors eelgrass beds in the Peconic Estuary Partnership location, including three extant beds identified during an aerial survey in 2014.
- Cedar Point: A monitoring site for eelgrass, it has been identified as a replacement site for the Peconic Estuary Program due to losses at other sites.
- Northwest Harbor: While a former eelgrass meadow, it’s included in the Peconic Estuary Program’s monitoring.
Importance of Eelgrass:
- Eelgrass provides vital habitat for fish, shellfish, and other marine life.
- It cleans the water, supports fish and other wildlife, and helps absorb climate-warming carbon.
- Healthy eelgrass beds are crucial for the economy of coastal communities.
As reported in March 2024: