Project Description: Define Zostera marina’s distribution, production, and reproductive output in Kachemak Bay, AK. Specific goals and products: 1. Using AK eelgrass population data unify seagrass bio-optical model & SF Bay light model into one global seagrass model, to be applied to CA, WA, MA, and NC. 2. Conduct joint ground-truthing and training with the Port Graham subsistence resource conceptual modeling project; 3. Create a geographic forecast of eelgrass production and life history strategies; 4. Evaluate the rate of recolonization of disturbed eelgrass using rhizome morphometric analysis; 5. Expand and complete the joint NERR-NCCOS eelgrass phenology work to include additional representative sites in the Reserve. 6. Produce a comprehensive report on the distribution, life history, and production contribution and restoration strategy for eelgrass in Kachemak Bay.
Expected Outcome: Target Study Objectives: 1. Define where eelgrass presently occurs. 2. What are the seasonal and spatial variations of eelgrass distribution and abundance? 3. What is rate of eelgrass recolonization in the event of a disturbance? 4. What eelgrass reproductive strategies are utilized under different environmental settings? 5. Collection of environmental data for calibrating a model that forecasts eelgrass distribution and life history strategy.
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Ongoing
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PI: Fonseca, Mark-NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
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