Maine scientists and volunteers race to harvest eelgrass seeds for coastal restoration

On a sunny August afternoon, divers in wetsuits swam to a vibrant eelgrass meadow in Casco Bay to collect Zostera marina shoots for scientific analysis. Led by Glenn Page of the Collaborative for Bioregional Action Learning and Transformation, the Team Zostera initiative partners with Bowdoin College, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership and state agencies to investigate eelgrass reproduction and develop seed-harvesting and transplant methods.

Mapping by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection shows that seagrass acreage has dropped dramatically since the 1990s, with losses exceeding half in Casco Bay, Midcoast Maine and the Acadia region. Researchers point to warming waters, stronger storms, invasive green crabs and nutrient runoff as possible stressors, though no single cause has been identified. Volunteers on land processed thousands of seed-bearing spathes, while Indigenous collaborators such as the Passamaquoddi Nation contributed language and cultural insights. Recent natural regrowth in cooler years offers hope that targeted restoration could succeed if environmental conditions improve.