Where did all my grass go?

That question comes up pretty frequently during certain times of the year. “I had so much grass last year! Now it’s all barren under my dock again and some Lyngbya has settled back in.” Yes, that can be concerning but consider this, are the leaves on the trees green all year? Do all of your flowers bloom non-stop? The eelgrass is a plant, and like most plants it goes through seasonal changes!

Winter

This is when the concerns start to roll in, but what is winter in Citrus County? Manatee Season! And one of the positive effects of our project is feeding the manatees. So what happens when the extraordinary manatee population arrives hungry from their trip? They give our eelgrass yards a good mowing! Add that to colder temperatures reducing the growing rate and BLAMMO! it appears the grass has all died and gone to Atlantis. (A little eelgrass secret – The grass will come back)

Spring

“Ok, it’s getting warmer. Now where is the grass?”. While the weather is starting to get warmer, its still a bit too cold for full blown growing season (That comes next!) During early Spring the eelgrass will stay mostly dormant, occasionally sending out runners (rhizomes) that will grow taller but without protection the manatees will continue to munch them down until the population starts to vacate.

Summer

IT’S GROWING SEASON!!! This is when the magic happens! Warmer weather promotes a growing BOOM and we begin to see those beautiful lush eelgrass beds. This is also when the eelgrass starts breaking up the Lyngbya so it can wash away with the current and leave us with gorgeously clear springs.

Fall

Love is in the air! Well… pollination is in the water. Fall is Flowering Season which is when we start to see long tendrils floating up to the water surface. These flowers then release pollen in to the tides where it will float down the river (or get carried by the ‘bee’s of the sea’) to fertilize and create even more wonderful eelgrass!

The Seasonal Circle

The beauty of mother nature’s plan is that is relatively predictable. Now in our 5th year of the King’s Bay Restoration Project we have seen this cycle play out each season. The good news? The eelgrass always comes back! Sometimes in places we haven’t even restored yet!