Persistence of Seagrass Restoration

Charles Belaire , Belaire Environmental, Inc., Anitra Thorhaug, Yale University, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Greater Caribbean Energy and Environment Foundation. Worldwide Seagrasses losing 7% per year. 51,000 km2 lost from Van Katwijk, Thorhaug et al. 2014. Atlantic subtropics and tropics: and Greater Caribbean, Texas coastal area. Texas Estuaries Degradation of >70% (Source: Pulich Jr, W. M. "1999, Seagrass conservation plan for Texas: Austin." Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Resource Protection Division.)

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Esri www.esri.com) . All rights reserved. For . Esri ® software, please visit (Image Source:created Map was using ArcGIS® software by ArcGIS® and ArcMap™andthe ArcGIS® intellectual are property of used herein under license. Copyright © more information about Esri Status and Trends in Texas Seagrass

Percent Current Bay System Remaining Species* Trends Acreage (since 1950)

Galveston 280 0.1 Rup, (Hph, Hd, Th) Gone, (Except in Christmas Bay)

Matagorda 3,340 1.6 Hd, Rup, Hph Possibly decreasing East Matagorda San Antonio 10,600 4.6 Hd, Rup, Hph Fluctuates with inflows Espiritu Santo Copano Hd, Rup St. Charles 8,000 3.4 Hd, Rup Aransas All five

Nueces Hd, Rup Fluctuates with inflows Corpus Christi 24,600 11.2 All five Redfish All five Acreage stable, some bed fragmentation

Upper Laguna All, except Th Slight decrease since 1990 62,000 26.4 Madre

Baffin 5,200 2.2 Hd, Hph, Rup Decreasing since 1990 Lower Laguna Decreasing and species changing since 118,600 50.5 All five Madre 1970s

*Hd = Halodule, Rup = Ruppia, Hph = Halophila, Th = Thalassia, Syr = Syringodium

(Source: Pulich Jr, W. M. "1999, Seagrass conservation plan for Texas: Austin." Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Resource Protection Division.) Seagrass 0.1% Remaining: 3 periods -1956(red), 1987(purple), 1996(green) By C.W. and G.P. Mitchell Foundation Texas planting methods and species

Planting Methods Planted Species • Plugging with sod • Halodule wrightii • Halophila decipiens • Bare roots plug (no dirt) • Halophila engelmannii • Sprigs • Thalassia testudinum • Ruppia maritima • Syringodium filiforme

Summary of Texas Revegetation Studies:

• Halodule wrightii beds show HIGH PERSISTENCE; growth exceeding 15 years

• Halodule wrightii plugs have shown high transplant success rates

• Intertidal planting results not as successful as subtidal planting in Texas (or globally)

• Texas workers have planted more than 2 km2 (494+ acres); Equals 5% of global planting (global planting = approximately 40 km2, or 9,884 acres. Chesapeake Bay, Florida and Australia form the bulk of this global restoration effort.)

• Belaire and Thorhaug seagrass restoration groups did 90%+ of these Texas plantings

Major overall projects; Texas Subtropics

Number Size of Type of Site of Researcher Species Planted Planting Total Location Planting Area (m2) Unit Units

Halodule Entire Texas 1,006,777 Ruppia Belaire Coast Plug 1,044,663 2,405,388 Syringodium (248.8 Acres)

Laguna Halodule, 787,487 Thorhaug Plug, M 787,487 8,958,893 Madre, TX Halophila (194 Acres)

Redfish Halodule Sheridan Bay, TX Plug, M 10,462

Galveston, Halodule Hammerstrom TX Sprigs 1,720

Kennedy Galveston, Halodule 16,000 TX Belaire Seagrass Planting in Texas Page 1

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Days) - Type Total Total (18 Species Planted Months) (60 Area (m2) Survival % Survival Total Units Coverage % % Coverage Restoration Restoration Revegetated Revegetated Date Planted Date Receptor Site Receptor Planting 1989 , 182,110 H.w. 225,000 Approved by Approved by unvegetated bay Corpus Christi Oil & Gas, USACE as USACE as bottom Mud Island, successful successful Scrape down of 1990 North Marina, Copano 3,055 R.m. 3,750 90 90 upland Bay Scrapedown of 1987 Redfish Bay, Pelone 12,141 H.w. 7,500 90 74 dredged material Island bound (sandy soils) Planting 1990 EDC, Lower Laguna 180,087 H.w. 222,500 70 99 unauthorized Madre newly placed dredged material Scrape down of 1990 Bright & Co., Mid Laguna 3,035 H.w. 3,750 80 80 dredged material Madre Planting 36-Ac 1990 Corpus Christi 218,533 H.w. 270,000 74 90 pipeline Transmission Co., Upper restoration, 8-Ac Laguna Madre filled abandoned channel and a 10-Ac dredge spoil

Belaire Seagrass Planting in Texas Page 2

36 - Days) - Site Type Total Total (18 Species Planted Months) Receptor Receptor (60 Area (m2) Survival % Survival Total Units Coverage % % Coverage Restoration Restoration Revegetated Revegetated Date Planted Date Restored pipeline 1990 Tejas Power Co., 14,165 H.w. 17,500 40 47(1) trench Scrape down of 1992 Central Power & Light, 4,047 H.w. 5,000 44 56 upland Lower Laguna Madre Wave barrier N.A. Mitchell Energy, 93,464 H.w., R.m. 0 N.A. 62 construction Mesquite Bay Scrape down of 1995 U.S. Army Corps of 84,966 H.w. 100,000 50 60 old dredged Engineers, South Bay, material disposal Lower Laguna Madre site Refilled 18-ft 1994 Le Bouf Brothers Towing, 24,282 H.w. 30,000 40 74 deep prop. Upper Laguna Madre washhole Scrape down of 1995 City of Corpus Christi, 87,698 H.w. 106,850 67 0.5(2) barrier island Demit Pier, Upper Laguna Madre Scrape down of 2002 City of Corpus Christi, 27,314 H.w., 0 N.A. 73 abandoned oil Oleander Point, Upper R.m., H.e. field road Laguna Madre Scrape down of 1995 City of Corpus Christi, 1,991 H.w. 2,460 60 76 abandoned oil Oleander Point, Upper field road Laguna Madre Scrape down of 2009 South Padre 1,578 H.w. 1,500 67 67 upland Development Corp., Lower Laguna Madre

Belaire Seagrass Planting in Texas Page 3

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Days) - Date Type Total Total

(18 Species Planted Planted Months) (60 Area (m2) Area Survival % Survival Total Units Units Total Coverage % % Coverage Restoration Revegetated Receptor Site Scrape down of old 2010 Kiewit Offshore, 8,499 H.w. 2,573 54 56 city dump Redfish Bay Planting 2010 La Quay Dredging, 13,396 H.w., H.e. 15,500 64.5 64.5 unauthorized Upper Laguna Madre placement of dredge material Scrape down of old 2009 Subsea 7 Mitigation, 7,295 H.w., S.f. 9,000 60 72 dredge spoil site Port Isabel, Lower Laguna Madre Wave barrier N.A. Chaparral Energy, 20,910 H.w. 0 N.A. 20 construction Mesquite Bay Planting 2013 Shamrock Island, 18,211 H.w. 21,780 N.A. N.A. unvegetated bay Corpus Christi Bay bottom Example Project 1989 – Texas Gulf Coast 1,006,777 m² 1,044,663 40 - 90 .5 - 99 Totals 2013 KEY H.w. = Halodule wrightii H.e. = Halophila engelmanii S.f. = Syringodium filiforme R.m. = Ruppia maritime T.t. = Thalassia testidinum (1) = Pre-impact coverage was 40%, then 47% coverage in year three was considered successful by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2) = A severe brown tide developed in the Upper Laguna Madre shortly after survival monitoring was completed. This brown tide persisted for several years and is considered the reason the planted seagrass did not achieve 70% coverage in three years as required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. Corpus Christi Oil & Gas 42.6-Acre (172,402.2 m²) Restoration Area Planted in 1989 – 25 Years Persistence

Pre-Restoration 1988 Fig. 1. LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Mud Island. 1990. Mud Island, TX.

Aransas Bay

Mud Island

Post-Restoration 2009 Fig. 2. Mud Island. Digital image. Pictometry Online. Jan 2009. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

Aransas Bay

Mud Island Energy Development Corporation (EDC) 44.5-Acre (180,087 m²) Restoration Area Planted in 1990 - 24 Years Persistence

Pre-Restoration 1990 Fig. 3 LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. EDC. 1990. Primero Island, TX.

Lower Laguna Madre

Post-Restoration 2006 Fig. 4. Primero Island. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, U.S. Geological Survey, DigitalGlobe. Nov. 2006. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

Lower Laguna Madre Corpus Christi Transmission Company 54-Acre (218,533 m²) Restoration Area Planted in 1990 – 24 Years Persistence

Pre-Restoration 1990 Post-Restoration 2011

Pita Island

Pita Island

Upper Laguna Upper Laguna Madre Madre

Fig. 5 LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Transco. 1990. Corpus Christi, TX Fig. 6. Pita Island. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 21-Acre (84,987 m²) Restoration Area Planted in 1995 – 19 Years Persistence

Pre-Restoration 1995 Post-Restoration Photo 2009

Fig. 7. South Bay. Digital image. Google Earth. U.S. Geological Survey. Google, Jan. 1995. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. Fig. 8. South Bay. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, Jan. 2009. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. City of Corpus Christi, Oleander Point 6.75-Acre (27,314 m²) Restoration Area Planted in 1995 – 19 Years Persistence

Pre-Restoration 1989 Post-Restoration 2011

Upper Laguna Upper Madre Laguna Flour Bluff, TX

Flour Bluff, TX Madre

Fig. 9. LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Oleander Point. 1989. Flour Bluff, TX. Fig. 10. Oleander Point. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. Thorhaug (2001) restored in 1999

Site Location Area (m²) Species Planting Units Success (%)

Test Cnl Head, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 533 Hw 1533 65

Test T-Head, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 35 H.w. 90 85

Thorhaug (2001) TX, USA 275181 H.w. 275181 Mid-Exxon, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 29538 H.w. 29538 65 Well Head Exxon, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 40468 H.w, He, R.m. 40468 70

Canal Head Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 40468 H.w. He 40468 73 Predator Island Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 59489 H.w. R.m. 59489 93 CCOG, Laguna Thorhaug (2001) Madre 105218 H.w. H.e. 105218 77 Middle N Canal, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 40468 H.w. R.m. 40268 77 Mid-Exxon, Thorhaug (2001) Laguna Madre 40468 H.w. H.e. 40468 65 Thorhaug Texas 2013 Seagrass Restoration

Site Location Area (ft2) Species Planting Units Success (%)

San Luis Pass, 120000 Halodule 3488 91.6 Galveston

Aransas/ St. 40000 Halodule 1177 72 Charles Bay

Aransas/St. 1728 Halodule 55 100 Charles Bay Shamrock Island 12000 Halodule 366 79

Croaker Hole 53683 Halodule 1287 63 stream Croaker Hole 20000 Halodule 555 74 flats Croaker hole 20000 Halodule 500 69 shelf Predator Island, Padre Island National Seashore 14.7 Acres (59,488 m2) Restoration Area Planted 1999 - 14 Years Persistence After scraping down island and Before scraping restoring seagrass

Planted 60,000 plugs with Halodule plus Halophila understory 3 month coalescence, above 80% survive. Laguna Madre: Predator- Persistence continues in faces of environmental events such as hurricanes. 2002 2003

2005 2009 North Laguna Madre: CCOG boat scar from early 1980’s, total plugs 125,580, H and HP, planted at 3.5-5 ft depth. Planting unit extent 125,580 m2, 73% survival, present coverage 100%. Thorhaug, 2001

Planted area 8 years later Planted area 12 years later Galveston Bay near . Red area is restoration. Yellow expansion area. Aransas Bay/St. Charles Bay. Left one acre at 72%, right 100% for 2000 ft2

Big Tree Road Small site Croaker Hole, Corpus Christi Bay

Stream Flats What did we learn in assessments in Texas? • Persistence: These seagrass species persist through hurricanes, pollution and oil spills.

• Depth: Intertidal not as successful as subtidal. Seagrasses thrive as deep as -5 ft MLLW. The ideal planting elevation in most bays is -1.5 ft MLLW.

• Light : critical, reported by many as limiting.

• Energy: profoundly important. Fetch, wake, depth, waves, current. Properly planned breakwater can significantly contribute to successful seagrass restoration.

• Unmodified Bottoms: Depending upon local conditions, large and small areas of bay bottom can be successfully planted to restore seagrass.

• Nutrients: usually high estuaries so that fertilizer additions not statistically different in many cases.

• Season of planting important on upper Texas Coast. Little winter viability. Some species have spring preference. (Thorhaug) On the Lower Texas Coast season is not important. The longest surviving seagrass restoration in Texas was planted in the fall of 1987 (Belaire, 1987).

• Species (some) can tolerate new sets of impacted conditions better than others. For example, H.W. can rapidly colonize after placement of thin layers of dredged material. What did we learn technically?

• Many successes in many differing types of locations and soil types.

• Large species worked better (unless plugging) than small or fine species. Halodule and Thalassia better than Halophila (Thorhaug). Belaire has found that Halodule, Syringodium and Halophila worked better than Thalassia.

• Distance from donor bed not significant

• Time of monitoring can be significant . Longer time such as annually, far better than shorter few months (Thorhaug). Belaire has found that time of monitoring is not critical for survival or coverage monitoring if hand- monitoring or coring techniques are used.

• Rhizomes if sturdy better for restoration than delicate plugs.

• Wisdom and experience of investigator important.

• Large scale did better than trials.

What did we learn generally?

• Government regulators and engineers should not be choosers of where successful restoration will occur, the species, or techniques. The expert who does the work and has good track record should select. Seagrass restoration is far more difficult than marsh or mangrove restoration and the experience and wisdom of the planter is of great importance.

• Marsh or mangrove restoration protocols or requirements do not necessarily translate to seagrass requirements.

• Success Criteria: Natural cover of seagrass in vicinity should be the control for coverage. Success criteria should compare a nearby non- impacted seagrass bed to the area being restored. Success criteria for survival should be based on a 50% 60-day survival rate or less if the control seagrass bed has less than 100% of coverage.

Conclusions

• Of the global 40.8 km2 (10,081 Acres) restored by planting , 2 km2 (494 Acres) done in Texas. These have persisted in general. A great deal more restoration needs to be done.

• 51,000 km2 (12,602,374 Acres) lost globally, 40.8 km2 (10,081 Acres) restored. There is a loss of 7% per year at present with replacement rate not at all sustainable, despite conservation policies and regulations for seagrass in most nations.

• The Texas shoreline has lost 4,047+ km2 (1+ million acres) over many decades.

• In Texas only 210.5 km2 (52,020 acres) left in upper estuaries and 731 km2 (180,600 acres) in Laguna Madre.

• The degraded seagrass is similar along the Gulf Coast including; Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. However, not in Florida which has been restoring seagrass for 40 years, since Thorhaug restored the first large scale seagrass site in 1973 at a nuclear power plant (Thorhaug, 1974). Thanks to the following :

Thanks to the following people who offered data or who had constructed data matrix: Marieke Van Katwijk, NOAA, NMFS, USACE. Authors thank their multiple industrial companies who supported the seagrass restoration work and Yale School of Forestry, Belaire Environmental, Inc., Belaire Consulting, and Greater Caribbean Energy and Environment Foundation, George P. Mitchell.

Works Cited • Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1989). Planting 42.6-Acres of seagrass on Mud Island and St. Joseph’s Island. Submitted to Corpus Christi Oil and Gas. Inspected and accepted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1989. (No official report was prepared).

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1990a). “North Marina, Inc., Corps of Engineers Permit No. 17075 (03), Mitigation Monitoring.” , Texas, USA. Submitted to North Marina, Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 4 Jun 1990.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1990b). “Pelone Island Mitigation, March 1990 Monitoring Report, Corps of Engineers Permit No. 12769.” Pelone Island, Corpus Christi Bay, Nueces County, Texas, USA. Submitted to Redfish Bay Operating Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 9 Apr 1990.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1992a). “Fall 1992 Seagrass Monitoring Survey, 44.5-Acre Restoration.” Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to Energy Development Corporation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 15 Sept 1992.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1992b). “Monitoring of Seagrass Mitigation, Bright & Company, Corps of Engineers Permit No. 18957.” Mid-Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to Bright & Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 30 Apr 1992.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1993a). “Seagrass Monitoring Survey, 20” Pipeline, Upper Laguna Madre.” Upper Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to Corpus Christi Transmission Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 17 Sept 1993.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1993b). “TOMCAT Project, Three-Year Monitoring, Seagrass Restoration and Spartina alterniflora Planting, Matagorda Bay.” Matagorda Bay, Texas, USA. Submitted to Tejas Power Corporation (formerly Transco Energy) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 17 Sept 1993.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1995a). “Three-Year Monitoring of Central Power and Light Company 1.0-Acre Seagrass Mitigation Site.” South Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas, USA. Submitted to Central Power and Light and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 28 Apr 1995.

• Belaire Consulting, Inc. (1996a). “Three-Year Monitoring Survey, Phase I Beneficial Use Site, Corps of Engineers Permit No. 19275.” Mesquite Bay, Texas, USA. Submitted to Mitchell Energy Corporation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 15 Dec 1996. (Belaire Consulting, Inc. 1996a report is attached).

Works Cited • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (1996b). Planting of 21-Acre of seagrass for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Inspected and accepted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1996. (No official report was prepared). • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (1998a). “Three-Year Monitoring, Six-Acre Seagrass Restoration.” Upper Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to LeBeouf Brothers Towing and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 15 May 1998.

• Belaire Environmental, Inc. (1998b). “Three-Year Seagrass Coverage Monitoring Survey, 21.37-Acre Mitigation Site, Demit Pier Project.” Demit Pier, North Padre Island, Nueces County, Texas, USA. Submitted to City of Corpus Christi and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 15 May 1998. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (1998c). “Three-Year Seagrass Monitoring Survey, Oleander Point Mitigation, Unplanted Scrapedown Area.” Oleander Point, Upper Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to City of Corpus Christi and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 5 May 1998. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (1998d). “Three-year Monitoring Survey of 0.492-Acre Seagrass Mitigation Site.” Oleander Point, Upper Laguna Madre, Texas. Submitted to the City of Corpus Christi and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 5 May 1998. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (2006). “Two-Year Monitoring Report, Mitigation Project.” Lower Laguna Madre, Laguna Vista, Cameron County, Texas, USA. Submitted to South Padre Island Development Company, LLC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 14 Feb 2006. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (2007). “Five-Year Monitoring Seagrass and Smooth Cordgrass Mitigation Area.” Redfish Bay, , Texas, USA. Submitted to Kiewit Offshore Services, LTD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 6 Dec 2007. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (2010). “Report of Findings for a Post-Planting Survival/Vegetation Coverage Monitoring Survey of a 3.31 Acre Seagrass Restoration Area in the Upper Laguna Madre.” Laguna Madre, Texas, USA. Submitted to T.W. LaQuay Dredging, Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 16 Nov 2010. • • Belaire Environmental, Inc. (2011). “Two-Year Monitoring Seagrass, Smooth Cordgrass, Black Mangrove, and Saltwort Mitigation Area for Permit No. SWG-2008-00408.” Port Isabel, Cameron County, Texas, USA. Submitted to SubSea7, Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 6 Oct 2011.

Works Cited

• LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. EDC. 1990. Primero Island, TX.

• LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Mud Island. 1990. Mud Island, TX.

• LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Oleander Point. 1989. Flour Bluff, TX.

• LANMON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INC. Transco. 1990. Corpus Christi, TX

• Mud Island. Digital image. Pictometry Online. Jan 2009. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

• Oleander Point. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

• Pita Island. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

• Primero Island. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, U.S. Geological Survey, DigitalGlobe. Nov. 2006.

• Pulich Jr, W. M. "1999, Seagrass conservation plan for Texas: Austin." Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Resource Protection Division.)

• South Bay. Digital image. Google Earth. U.S. Geological Survey. Google, Jan. 1995. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

• South Bay. Digital image. Google Earth. Google, Jan. 2009. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.

• Thorhaug, A. 2001, The use of seagrass restoration after petroleum accidents. Pp. 386-91. Proc. 200l Conference on Oil spill Conference APT/EPA/USCG.

• Thorhaug, A. 2014. Seagrass restoration at a series of polluted sites in Texas Estuaries. Report to Texas General Land Office.

• Van Katwijk, M.M., Thorhaug, A., N. Marba, Paling , E., Verduin,J, McKensie, M., 2014, Accelerated Recovery of Seagrass. Bioscience (re- submitted with editing requests)