Eelgrass Talk

Eelgrass bed.\Photo courtesy of NOAA.

The MidCoast Watersheds Council presents a talk on eelgrass, a critical component of estuarine ecosystems, during its February meeting.  “Eelgrass in Oregon Estuaries” will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m.  The event is free and open to all.

The speaker is Jim Kaldy, an ecologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has been researching eelgrass and macroalgae in Yaquina Bay and other estuaries for 20 years.  The research he has been involved in includes species interactions with eelgrass beds, seagrass bed mapping. and human effects on eelgrass beds. He will also discuss the history and possible future of eelgrass beds in Yaquina Bay.  He will discuss how both native and invasive Japanese eelgrass are responding to environmental stressors.

Eelgrass, like kelp, is an aquatic plant that provides crucial food and habitat for fish and other creatures. Because of its importance to the ecology of Oregon's coastal ecology, eelgrass and seagrasses have been scientifically researched for decades. This talk will be a chance to catch up with the research.

To register for this event, go here.