Eelgrass Status and Environmental Relations

Abstract

Reports on eelgrass Zostera marina status from 360 localities in North America are summarized and discussed. On the eastern coast eelgrass is still considerably less abundant than prior to 1930, but there has been marked improvement in many areas in the past few years. The situation in Europe is similar. On the Pacific coast, eelgrass status has remained fairly stable. Environmental conditions of eelgrass are more variable than has been supposed. Beds of eelgrass have been discovered at depths exceeding one hundred feet along the coast of southern California, and reported from subarctic areas as far north as 62[degree]N. latitude.