TIMES RECORD • March 18, 2021
Underwater meadows of eelgrass provide a habitat for shellfish to spawn, mitigate erosion and combat climate change. Rep. Jay McCreight, D-Harpswell, sponsored a bill that would lay the groundwork for the state to resume regularly mapping eelgrass, a marine plant known for helping to maintain the health of Maine’s coast. Mapping eelgrass, usually done through aerial photography, would help “determine if Maine is meeting its water quality standards under the Clean Water Act” and track the health of Maine’s marine life, according to McCreight . “Mapping eelgrass would go a long way toward understanding and improving the health of Maine’s coastline, a need that has only increased with the acceleration of climate change,” McCreight wrote.