It’s that wonderful time of year when everyone is out boating on the water. We encourage the appreciation of the beautiful clean springs, but we do hope that you will help us in protecting the Kings Bay Restoration Project (KBRP) from disastrous seagrass scars!

Scars in eelgrass beds can take 3-10 years to heal! Some estimates say even longer. The KBRP spends a great deal of time and money to prepare the canals, plant eelgrass, and restore the habitat. A seagrass scar that may take only a minute or two to create, will take months of active restoration to fix if we have the available funds to fix those scars.

The goal of KBRP is to restore canals filled with Lyngbya to beautiful eelgrass meadows. A seagrass scar, or eelgrass scar, pulls the plants up from the ground removing the roots and the rhizome runners. This leaves a sandy white bottom cutting through the eelgrass meadows. Scars are caused by anchors being pulled through the seagrass, boats running aground, and propellers hitting the bottom. Not only do scars destroy the eelgrass plants, but they fragment the habitat! This makes it harder for species to utilize these beds. These scars can lead to additional erosion and many seagrass scars never completely heal without intervention. It is up to each of us to protect the grass beds. See below for great tips on how to be a seagrass safe boater.

Pictured: Aerial view of eelgrass scars seen in Kings Bay.

Pictured: Students learned that anchors cause seagrass scar damage during the 2^nd annual Be a Rock Star Event.

Everybody is responsible to be seagrass safe! Below are three great tips to ensure that you don’t cause a seagrass scar:

• Avoid: The easiest way to not cause a seagrass scar is to avoid boating in those areas. Look to use the navigation channels. We understand that eelgrass is planned for major boating areas so we just ask that you remain aware of your surroundings and be mindful when boating within Kings Bay.
• Trim: Are you boating in shallow water? Trim your motor up and idle to a safe depth. This will not only be helpful to the eelgrass meadows, but can save you costly repairs to props and engine skegs in the process.
• Push: In very shallow waters it will be good to cool off and jump in the water. Push the boat to deeper waters to avoid causing seagrass scars and boat damage.

Want to learn more? Visit our friends at www.BeSeagrassSafe.com

Pictured: Seagrass scar signs are posted throughout Kings Bay!