Final Report: Eelgrass Seed Harvest, Ripening and Seeding Experi

Background: Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a marine aquatic, rooted, and submerged plant in the angiosperm group. It produces leaves, flowers and seeds. It propagates by both seed and by growth of an underground stem or rhizome. It is widely found in the northeast at water depths of 7 feet or less due to a compromise between its need to root in sediment and its demand for sunlight for growth. It tolerates salinity ranging from full-strength marine at 35 parts per thousand to brackish waters with a salinity of 10 parts per thousand.