Project Report

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Unique ID Number = 33

NOAA Eelgrass Restoration Project - Completed

1997 orthophotography available from the RIGIS Orthophoto Server. Click image for printable PDF.
Courtesy: R.I. Department of Transportation

Project Location:  Dyer Island

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Access Point(s):   Not documented for this site.

Public Use:  Not documented for this site.

Impacts:  The Greek Tanker World Prodigy ran aground on Brenton Reef, off Newport, RI, on June 3, 1989. Approximately 290,000 gallons of heating oil was discharged, and the spill spread over 123 square miles, closing beaches and fishing grounds throughout Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. The spill occurred during the peak spawning time for many marine and estuarine fishery species. NOAA’s DARP assesses and claims damages from responsible parties for injuries to natural resources. NOAA negotiated a $3,900,000 settlement with the owners of the World Prodigy in 1991. The majority of the settlement went to the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies to defray costs associated with the clean up; however, NOAA received $567,000 to be used to restore ecological goods and services throughout the Bay.

Project Size:   Not documented for this site.

Area Benefited:   Not documented for this site.

Restoration Description:  To expand eelgrass distribution in Narragansett Bay by transplanting to a number of different locations in the Bay. Ten locations transplanted in 1996, monitoring conducted since 1996, 2 existing transplant sites were expanded in 1997 and one new site was planted. A variety of techniques were used at the transplant sites. Some transplants were covered with mesh cages to protect from grazers, others were fertilized to accelerate growth and bed coalescence. After one year, monitoring was conducted at the ten sites. Four of the ten sites had good survival. The remaining six sites did not exhibit good survivorship. Reasons for the lack of survival at these sites included a very stormy summer, localized conditions of poor water quality in the vicinity of the transplant sites and bioturbation by crabs (presumably green crabs). In 1997, additional transplants were conducted at two of the viable sites and one new site was transplanted.

Restoration Date:  7/1/1997

Target Species:   eelgrass

Historic Conditions:   Not documented for this site.

Project Contact:

john.catena@noaa.gov

Partners: CICEET/University of New Hampshire, Narragansett Bay NERR, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, RI Sea Grant, Save The Bay

Pre and Post Restoration Data: True, True

Monitoring:

Studies Conducted:  Growth and survival of eelgrass

Cost of Project:  Not documented for this site

Public Property Owners:  State of Rhode Island

Information Source:

john.catena@noaa.gov

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