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Spraying to eradicate Eel Grass?

627 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  freestoneangler 
#1 ·
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/scien...ucers-praise-Willapa-Bay-spraying-5769409.php

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but it sounds grim. I did not know Eel Grass was bad?
Educate me please.

"The Japanese eelgrass turns sandy tidelands into meadows, stunting the growth of clams by blocking food washed in by the tide. Also, the grass shields clam predators and slows down ocean currents, allowing smothering sediment to build."
 
#3 ·
The native eelgrass is not a major problem for the shellfish industry because it lives primarily in the subtidal and lower edges of the intertidal, below the shellfish beds. The oyster and clam beds are generally higher in the intertidal. The invasive Japanese eelgrass lives higher in the intertidal, right where the growers have their shellfish. You can read more about the issues here: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/siteFiles/Japonica_White_Paper.pdf.
The shellfish industry also has a pogrom against mud shrimp. The growers are permitted to spray their beds with the insecticide carbaryl (see http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/final_pesticide_permits/oyster/oyster_index.html). This is not a friendly chemical..... (see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/carbaryl.html).

Steve
 
#4 ·
Excellent info, I was unaware of the differences until now. I am assuming they spray the beds when fully exposed and that little would leach down to the native grass. Does the native Eel grass go "dormant" in the winter months as I never see the meadows of it like I do in the Summer. If so then perhaps they would spray during that time.
Very good info thanks you Steve and Bob for the input.
 
#5 ·
Good info' on the non-native eelgrass. The native kind is what we want to protect...

When we owned property on Willapa Bay there was non-native Spartina Grass that had taken over much of the intertidal area and disrupted the ecosystem in a very big way there. The state was attempting a variety of methods to get rid of it, but I don't know the current status.
There was also an attempt to control it on Port Susan Bay around Camano Island as well, as it was introduced there too.
I remember that it was rumored to have been brought in by shipments of east coast sand worms used as bait. The bedding used in shipping the worms here was Spartina Grass, and it was "released" by those using the sand worms for bait.
 
#6 ·
That doesn't sound very good. Seems always something challenging the marine systems these days. I suppose that is a tradeoff in the world being a smaller place -- so many more ships and chances for non-native species to get here. Hopefully it can be contained w/o much issue.
 
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