Seagrass beds, such as eelgrass, are highly productive habitats that provide numerous ecosystem services for both the environment and humans. These services include creating nurseries for juveniles, as well as providing habitat for many commercially important fish and crustacean species. These seagrass beds also promote sedimentation and reduce the strength of currents and waves, thereby limiting coastal erosion. Moreover, eelgrass has the potential to be an excellent carbon sink thanks to its ability to sequester CO2 (blue carbon).
The GDDPC has taken an interest in monitoring the health of this essential habitat, which is widely spread along the coastal area of the Cocagne watershed. By conducting this monitoring, we will be able to gather data over the years on the ecosystem’s health, such as the average height of the plants, the number of plants, their density, and the impact of the green crab, an invasive aquatic species that can damage plant stems.
Since the project's launch in 2024, the GDDPC has been monitoring two sites: the Cormierville Wharf and Beaverbrook, near the Cocagne Cove Wharf.
Resources
NEW! 2025 seagrass monitoring report (in French)
2024 seagrass monitoring report (in French)
Acknowledgements
The GDDPC would like to thank the Shediac Bay Watershed Association for their help throughout the project, as well as the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund for their financial support!
