Jay Lindsay Associated Press Google News 15 Aug 11;
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Underwater meadows of eelgrass once lined the New England coastline, providing a critical shoreline habitat. That was before a wasting disease mysteriously attacked the plant 80 years ago, and scientists are still working to bring it back
Researchers say eelgrass plays several important functions, including filtering the water, buffering storm surges and providing a nursery and shelter for a mix of commercially valuable sea life.
They say losing 80 percent of it between Maine and North Carolina in the 1930s was like the death of a vast, productive forest.
Today, researchers are studying the genetics of the surviving plants, to determine the characteristics that made them resilient or if there are factors that are hindering growth.
They're also they working to find places where the eelgrass can best be replanted.
