a variety of reasons since then. Industrial areas of Europe and North 
     
     America have lost eelgrass due to pollution, and in recent years eelgrass 
     
     populations have disappeared from most parts of the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. 
     
     Robert Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science attributes this t, 
     
     increased runoff, particularly from agriculture, which causes more turbidi 
     
     in the water and hence less light reaching the plants. 
     
    

    
     According to Dr. Short of UNH the decline of eelgrass in New Hamp— 
     
     shire and adjoining coasts seems caused by disease rather than pollution. 
     
    

    
     Short says one of the most noticeable characteristics of the dieoff 
     
     .is the absence of wrack, or dead grass, found along the shores of the areas 
     
     affected. . 
     
    

    
     Eelgrass also plays an important role in the nutrient cycle in est- 
     
     uaries. Through its natural dieoff and decomposition, large amounts of or— 
     
     ganic matter are slowly released into the marine ecosystem. According to 
     
     Dr. Kenneth Mann of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, 
     
     Nova Scotia, "The loss of eelgrass production can only reduce the prouct— 
     
     ivity of associated food webs." In addition, eelgrass helps control erosion 
     
     by stabilizing sediments. The loss of eelgrass beds would cause increased 
     
     amounts of siltation, resulting in costly dredging to keep rivers and har- 
     
     bors navigable. 
     
    

    
     If the eelgrass blight were to spread to the Maritimes one of the 
     
     noticeable losses would be to the Wildfowl populations which depend on 
     
     eelgrass for food. Following the '30s dieoff, ducks and geese which feed 
     
     on eelgrass roots suffered major losses. Brant geese populations declined 
     
     by over 90 percent. Some waterfowl which did survive altered their migra- 
     
     tion patterns in search of more food. 
     
    

    
     Dr. Short hopes to expand his study of the eelgrass decline along the 
     
     East Coast. At present he is "looking for more money" to continue studies. 
     
     While some support has_come from New Hampshire state agencies and water- 
     
     fowl associations Dr. Short admits he is somewhat dismayed by the lack of 
     
     funding; especially considering the far-ranging economic and ecological 
     
     consequences if another full-scale eelgrass blight were to occur. 
     
    

    
     Dr. Short and other scientists present at a conference on eelgrass 
     
     held at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts last fall 
     
     stressed the need to document, especially through aerial surveys, existing 
     
     eelgrass beds so that future declines will be noticed. 
     
    

    
     At present it is uncertain whether the current disappearance of eel— 
     
     grass will spread to the coast of Atlantic Canada. If it does reach the 
     
    
   
   
    
     Maritimes, as it did in the '305, the impact on the coast marine ecosystem 
     
     could be catastrophic. 
     
    
   
   
    
     (Ed. note: While billing itself as a Farm and Country Journal, Rural 
     
     Delivery is also a good source for a wide range of information including 
     
     environmental problems. Especially of interest have been their numerous 
     
     articles on forestry in the past few years. If you would like to subscribe 
     
     or receive a free copy, you can write to Rural Delivery, P.O. Box 1509, 
     
     Liverpool, Nova Scotia BOT 1K0.) 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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