Did you know that each month, scientists assess and maintain restored canals as part of the Kings Bay Restoration Project work plan? Check out below to see what they found in May 2018 for canals 1 and 4 by the Three Sisters Springs that were cleaned during the 2017 restoration season.

Pictured: Canal 4 had 1.22 acres mechanically maintained during May 2018 maintenance.

During the restoration process, Lyngbya and other detrital material is vacuumed out of the canal and the eelgrass plants are planted on clean sandy canal bottoms (learn more here). Once the eelgrass plants take root, they create an aerobic zone in the water that is filled with dissolved oxygen, much like plants on land that produce oxygen. The underwater wildlife loves the rich dissolved oxygen filled waters and uses the eelgrass beds as habitat and food.

Once a month divers will scrub down the cages and remove anything that has begun to grow on it using a hand vacuum. They also vacuum Lyngbya from around the cages too. If allowed to grow, this mat of plants, algae, and Lyngbya would blanket the cage and prevent light from reaching the plants. By removing what the divers refer to as “biofouling,” they ensure the plants have the best possible conditions to grow and thrive in.

Some Lyngbya on top of the new eelgrass plants can actually be good thing! The plants are hidden and protected from hungry manatees and other wildlife. As the plants begin to take root and grow taller, they will eventually push off the Lyngbya and it will float away. Having a dense meadow of eelgrass on the bottoms of the canals will prevent the thick mats of Lyngbya from carpeting the bottom in the future.

Many plants were observed outgrowing their protective cages, with blades poking through the tops and runners or rhizomes extending several inches outside of the cages. Considering we planted these eelgrass plants during the winter when they don’t grow much, they have certainly made up for it now that the warm summer months are here – we are finding patches of grass throughout these restored canals!

Pictured: Manatee exclusion cages must be maintained to remove invasive Lyngbya that floats into the canal.

Pictured:  Eelgrass plants flourish in the manatee exclusion cages.

Pictured: Large patches of eelgrass have been found throughout the canals during maintenance such as in Canal 4 seen here.