Scientists call on public to share observations

Eelgrass is a native seagrass that plays an important role in coastal marine ecosystems, improving water quality, stabilizing sediments, protecting shorelines against erosion, providing vital habitat for invertebrates and juvenile fish, including commercial valuable species such as cod, hake, lobster, clams, and mussels, and helping to mitigate climate change through its ability to sequester carbon. The problem is that eelgrass is disappearing from the coast of Maine, with severe setbacks in 2013 in Frenchman Bay, off Bar Harbor, and Maquoit Bay, the northwestern arm of Casco Bay.