Help me restore our waters with my method
Donation protected
Fast, large scale, successful and affordable. That's the goal of my nature-based method to restore habitat loss. Eelgrass is the main source of food for many creatures. It's also the primary producer found at the base of coastal ecosystems, including here on Long Island.
My invention plants eelgrass using shellfish with non-toxic biodegradable adhesive. The adhesive attaches the eelgrass seeds onto hard clams. The clam is then dropped into the water, burying itself into the sea floor while planting the seeds along with them. This method will conserve seagrass ecosystems by providing essential habitats for threatened and endangered species.
Eelgrass habitats are declining globally by 7% a year. To date, other seed-based methods to restore seagrass are largely unsuccessful. With my method, the clam will have enough seeds attached to produce at least one plant. The viability of the seeds determines the germination rate. The germination rate dictates the number of seeds attached to each clam. The sprouts that grow will have a source of fertilizer from the excrement from the clam. The plant will produce oxygen for the shellfish, and the shellfish filters the water making more sunlight that the plant requires to thrive. This creates an environment allowing for better photosynthesis. My solution and planting method will mimic the symbiotic relationship between clams and eelgrass, where clams aerate the sediments through their tunneling and siphon holes while providing waste for fertilizer and the grass trapping fresh food particulates feeding the clams. Many areas no longer have a seed source for recolonization to occur naturally, creating the need for management to prevent further habitat degradation and loss.
Bringing back eelgrass is bringing back life in the sea and saving what's left. The $12,000 goal of the project will allow me to get this work done.
Below are some links that show a bit of who I am and some work I have already done:
@SaveTheSound Eelgrass dive photos off Fishers Island
Suffolk Closeup: Tribute to a protector of the natural world
https://shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com/2022/06/26/suffolk-closeup-tribute-to-a-protector-of-the-natural-world/
HBHS Science Club Eelgrass Restoration Project Nov 2021
Eel Grass Restoration at Fisher's Island- Phase One: Seed Collection
Organizer
Robert Vasiluth
Organizer
Commack, NY