Two-year pilot project will study staggering decline of eelgrass in Casco Bay

MAINE PUBLIC • April 24, 2024

Friends of Casco Bay and other conservation groups said they'll launch a two-year pilot project this summer to study an alarming decline of eelgrass in Casco Bay. Eelgrass meadows are a vital fish habitat that reduce erosion, buffer the effects of ocean acidification, and capture carbon. State mapping shows eelgrass habitat in Casco Bay has decreased by 54% in just four years. Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca said the pilot project will study two healthy eelgrass beds that could shed light on what is causing the decline.