TIMES RECORD • August 18, 2022
I love thinking of ocean creatures as superheroes — barnacles that have stronger natural cement than anything humans have created for the marine environment, seals that can hold their breath for 40 minutes and…eelgrass. A group of scientists, artists, and philosophers, called Team Zostera, has taken on the responsibility of being Casco Bay’s “seagrass stewards.” Team Zostera, named after Zostera marina, the local eelgrass species, recognizes that healthy seagrass meadows are central for healthy fisheries, adding oxygen, trapping particles like microplastics, contributing to shoreline protection, capturing carbon and filtering by removing bacteria and viruses from coastal waters. Eelgrass is foundational to the ability of the Gulf of Maine to provide healthy, local seafood options. FMI: cobaltlearningjourney.com/casco-bay-learning-journey/. ~ Susan Olcott