Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
1
Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment & Mapping (BREAM) Project
Bermuda Biodiversity Project, Bermuda Zoological Society;
2
Department of Conservation Services, Ministry of Environment & Sport,
Bermuda Government
Bermuda Seagrass Status Report: 2004 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Underwater seagrass meadows provide critical habitat for a wide range of plants and animals,
including many commercial fish (Larkham et al. 2006; Glasspool 1994). In 2004, recognizing the
vital importance of seagrass habitats in sustaining the ecological integrity of Bermuda’s marine
environment, in 2004 members of the Bermuda Biodiversity Project and the Department of
Conservation Services undertook the first comprehensive regional assessment and mapping of all
seagrass meadows across the Bermuda reef platform. The location, extent and condition of the
majority of seagrass meadows in Bermuda were assessed using a variety of procedures. Many
variables that indicate the condition of each seagrass meadow were quantified and the data
analyzed and entered into a statistical and geographic information system (GIS) database.
An index of ecological integrity (IEI), derived from seagrass shoot density and shoot height data,
indicated both healthy meadows and those in catastrophic decline. The IEI also pinpointed the
location of meadows of intermediate quality, which are most likely to decline in the short-term
future and which may be worthy of special focus if the source of the mass mortality event is to
be determined.
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................5
Results............................................................................................................................................20
Discussion ......................................................................................................................................49
References......................................................................................................................................52
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Diagrams of the four species of seagrass found in Bermuda. From Sterrer 1992............6
Figure 2. Paths of Tier 2 and locations of Tier 3 seagrass assessments. Dots represent sites
surveyed for the presence and condition of seagrass using Level 1 (red) and Level 2
(yellow) assessment protocols. A: Crescent Reef; B: Tudor Hill; C: Great Sound; D:
Fort St. Catherine; E: Spanish Point; F: Bailey’s Bay. ...................................................12
Figure 3: Location and names of sites at the western side of the Bermuda platform ....................13
Figure 5. Location and name of the sites in the central, enclosed waters of Bermuda..................14
Figure 6. Locations and names of sites along the North Shore .....................................................14
Figure 7. Locations and names of sites at the eastern end of Bermuda .........................................15
Figure 8. Distribution of seagrass meadows observable in the 1997 BZS aerial photomosaic. ....20
Figure 9. Location and physiographic setting of the survey sites of the 2004 seagrass
assessment effort.............................................................................................................21
Figure 11. Location of sites that had blow-outs within the study area. .........................................23
Figure 13. The aerial image of a seagrass meadow above illustrates patch reefs surrounded by
halos of sand created by the grazing activity of herbivores. The image
encompasses an area ~300 m wide...............................................................................25
Figure 15. Aerial photograph of Mangrove Bay illustrating the extensive damage to seagrass
that is caused by boat moorings....................................................................................28
Figure 16. A detailed view of the density of moorings found in the bays and enclosed waters
located along the southwestern side of Pembroke Parish.............................................29
Figure 17. The location of moorings in Riddell’s Bay and Jew’s Bay in Southampton................29
Figure 18. Grotto Bay (A) and Ely’s Harbour (B) are two of the last enclosed bays left in
Bermuda that have not yet been drastically damaged by a high density of
Figure 19. Propeller scars appear as obvious strips of exposed sand surrounded by seagrass.
Image from: www.gulfmex.org/sites/ 2004/propscars_close_sm.jpg ..........................31
Figure 20. Red dots mark the locations of prop scars evident in the BZS aerial photomosaic .....32
Figure 21. Map of the density of seagrass at each site. Overall density was assessed following
a 4 point scale: ..............................................................................................................33
Figure 22. Map of the average height of seagrass sites. Height categories are in cm units. Red
dots represent no seagrass or very short blades, yellow dots represent short and
heavily grazed seagrass, green dots represent healthy lengths of seagrass and blue
dots represent extremely long blades of seagrass at the research site. .........................35
Figure 23. Map of the Seagrass Index of Integrity for each site. Red dots are classified as
exceptionally unhealthy sites or where seagrass was once present but is now
absent. Yellow sites are classified as possibly undergoing decline. Green sites are
classified as healthy. .....................................................................................................36
Figure 24. The pie charts located at each site mapped above represent the relative proportion
of each species of seagrass, based on counts of short shoots within quadrats. Green
represents Thalassia, Yellow represents Syringodium, Red represents Halodule
and Blue represent Halophila. ......................................................................................38
Figure 25. Relative density of Thalassia testudinum at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2 ................39
Figure 26 .Relative density of Syringodium filiforme at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2. ...............40
Figure 27. Relative density of Halodule wrightii at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2. ...............41
Figure 28. Relative density of Halophilia decipien at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2. ...............42
Figure 29 A-C (Below). Maps of the density of each of 3 types of calcareous erect
macroalgae across the 55 survey sites. Density values represented by each colour
category in the legend represent the number of plants per 0.25m2 quadrat..................44
Figure 30. Density of epiphytes on a qualitative 3-point scale across the survey sites. Red =
high densities, yellow = moderate densities and green = very low densities of
epiphytes.......................................................................................................................45
Figure 31. Map showing the extent of seagrass meadows in the summer of 2004 (green) and
the area lost to the recent mass-mortality event since 1997 (red).................................47
Introduction
Bermuda is a 5560 hectare chain of limestone islands located in the North Atlantic near 32oN
64oW. The islands run along the southeast side of a 150,000-hectare carbonate platform accreted
on the top of an eroded volcano that emerged from the sea over 33 mya. Arrays of patch and
pinnacle reefs extend from nearshore, across the deeper lagoon situated to the north and west of
the islands, and out to the rim reef that encircles the platform. Extending beyond the rim in all
directions is a 1-km wide forereef terrace that reaches to 50-m depth, beyond which the sides
slope down precipitously to 1000-m depth and then gradually to the seafloor at 4500 m.
Although Bermuda is north of the tropics, prevailing warm oceanic conditions support a limited
number of small mangrove forests, extensive and healthy coral reefs, as well as meadows of
tropical and subtropical seagrasses.
Four or five species of seagrass are found in Bermuda; Thalassia testudinum Banks & Soland ex
Koenig (turtle grass), Syringodium filiforme Kuetzing (manatee grass), Halodule wrightii
Ascherson (shoal grass), and either one or two species of Halophila (P. Barnes and M. Waycott,
pers. comm.): Halophila decipens Ostenfeld (and possibly Halophila engelmanii Ascherson)
(paddle grasses). Bermuda is the northern geographic limit for T. testudinum, S. filiforme and
both species of Halophila in the Atlantic (Den Hartog 1970, South 1983, Green & Short 2003),
whereas H. wrightii occurs in slightly more northern, continental locations (Den Hartog 1970,
Green & Short 2003). In Bermuda, T. testudinum, S. filiforme and H. wrightii are limited to
depths less than 15 m (TJTM, SM, AFG, unpublished data) and thus do not spread across the
deeper parts of the inshore basins or the lagoon. Halophila species are typically able to grow at
lower light intensities (Short et al. 2001, Short & Coles 2001) and are patchily distributed across
the platform to depths as great as 18 m (Smith et al. 1998, TJTM, pers. obs.).
Globally, seagrass meadows are recognized as a vitally important ecosystem due to their highly
productive nature, their elevated and unique biodiversity, the role they play in the cycling of
nutrients and the structural integrity they provide to shallow marine areas (c.f. Short and Coles
2001, Duarte 2002). Additionally, and in part due to the locally-limited extent of mangroves,
Bermuda seagrass meadows represent primary habitats for juvenile and adult fishes, lobsters,
conchs, and green turtles (Evans & Lockwood 1994, Evans & Evans 1995, Berg et al. 1992,
Glasspool 1994, Ward 1999, Meylan et al. 1998, Vierros et al. 1998, Vierros et al. 2002, Smith et
al. 2003).
Figure 1. An illustration of the four species of seagrass found in Bermuda. (Sterrer 1992).
In order to achieve the goals defined in the Habitat Action Plan for seagrasses, the Bermuda Reef
Ecosystem Assessment and Mapping (BREAM) programme, a collaboration of the BBP and the
Bermuda Ministry of the Environment, Department of Conservation Services, undertook the first
comprehensive, region-wide assessment and mapping of seagrasses in 2004. All seagrass
meadows located on the Bermuda platform (Fig 1) were manually mapped to a GIS database
from a geo-referenced mosaic of aerial photographs taken in June 1997 (Bermuda Zoological
Society 1997).
The opportunity provided the BBP in 1997 to have a low level aerial flyover of Bermuda, with
accurate GPS positioning, extended to cover the whole of the shallow reef platform seemed an
ideal alternative to allow a much more accurate assessment and habitat map to be developed.
With the subsequent application of GIS, it was felt that this could serve as a valuable framework
for integrating all future research on Bermuda’s marine environment, thereby serving as a critical
tool for scientists and resource managers alike.
The value of the resulting aerial image continues to grow, and in addition to its application for
marine habitat mapping, it has been used as the framework for a similar terrestrial habitat
mapping initiative undertaken by the BBP between 1998 and 2001. We have also been keen to
share the product with other groups in the community who wish to use it as a baseline. The aerial
map has been made publicly available to all Bermuda residents through the LookBermuda™
website, and as such can be used as a valuable tool for education, resource management, and the
monitoring of habitats through time.
TIER 1 – “Desktop”
• No field observations
• Compilation of documented information
o Literature searches
o Surveys of experts
• To support the planning for monitoring and more detailed assessments
• Information to be compiled:
o Location, extent and area of coverage
o Physiographic classification
o Habitat type
o Water quality data
o Biological assemblage data
o Water column and seabed characteristics
• Aerial survey maps used to provide an indication of the location of the habitats at the
time of the initial fly-over.
• Allows the team to update the survey maps to guide the selection of sites for higher
tiers of assessment.
The platform-wide assessment of seagrass carried out in 2004 utilized the following specific
types of data for each assessment tier:
Tier 1: Seagrass beds were initially be identified using aerial photographs and/or prior
knowledge of specific locations. Distinct areas were then defined as continuous seagrass
beds and/or areas of generally continuous seagrass coverage. Previous research done in
Bermuda and elsewhere with the same seagrass species was also collected through a
comprehensive literature review by a Dr. Kathy Coates (in progress).
Tier 2: Over 150 quick-look “bucket” or snorkel surveys that documented the most simple
categories of data were carried out across all seagrass beds mapped from the 1997
photomosaic.
Tier 3: 55 sites were selected within almost all seagrass meadows for in-situ assessment.
Surveyed seagrass meadows were typically ~2 km apart, unless there were special reasons
for surveying meadows that were closer together. Sites covered a 10 m by 30 m area.
Since each seagrass meadow was only surveyed once, survey sites were not located
randomly within each meadow. Instead, the sites were intentionally located within the
center of the densest part of the seagrass bed within the area of interest, based on the
aerial image. Non-random sampling was done as the purpose of these Tier 3 surveys was
to determine the overall condition of each of the many seagrass meadows dispersed across
Bermuda.
Tier 4: Comprehensive biodiversity surveys have yet to be done, awaiting the analysis of the Tier
1-3 level data. Once the lower tier assessments are carried out, 10 to 20 sites of special
scientific interest (SSI) will be assigned and Tier 4 assessments initiated as long-term,
intensive research projects.
Study Areas
Tier 1 (digital) mapping of seagrass visible within the aerial photo-mosaic was carried out in
May, 2004. The outer boundaries of seagrass beds were mapped manually using visual cues for
seagrass presence, with the use of the computer programme ArcGIS 3.2. The visual mapping of
the 1997 mosaic provided the framework that guided the location of assessment sites in 1994.
Tier 2 Assessments
All shallow sandy habitats likely to support seagrass growth were visually assessed for the
presence and condition of seagrass, along the paths illustrated below (Figure 2). Assessments
were done by snorkel or viewing glass from a small research vessel, with location and habitat
characteristics noted at each sampling point.
Tier 3 Assessments
70 potential sites were pre-selected from the visual maps of seagrass distribution produced
during Tier 1 mapping (Fig. 2 - 7). Sites were chosen to include most seagrass meadows. Sites
within large continuous meadows were separated by one to two km in order to maximize the
extent of the platform that could be assessed. Of the 70 potential sites a total of 55 were surveyed
over the course of the summer and early autumn of 2004. The figures below show the locations
of each of these 55 sites.
Figure 2. Paths of Tier 2 and locations of Tier 3 seagrass assessments. Dots represent sites
surveyed for the presence and condition of seagrass using Level 1 (red) and Level
2 (yellow) assessment protocols. A: Crescent Reef; B: Tudor Hill; C: Great
Sound; D: Fort St. Catherine; E: Spanish Point; F: Bailey’s Bay.
Figure 3: Location and names of sites at the western side of the Bermuda platform
Figure 5. Location and name of the sites in the central, enclosed waters of Bermuda
General Characteristics
The following characteristics of the bay, reef system or general study area within which each
seagrass meadow was located were recorded for each site:
Site Name: Generally the place name of the area of interest was chosen.
Site ID number: Sites were numbered in order of assessment, from 2004-001
GPS Latitude and Longitude
Depth: As measured by depth sounder, depth gauge or sounding line.
Survey Time and Date
Physiographic Setting: The general geographic characteristics of the site. Physiographic
categories were: Inshore, Nearshore, Lagoonal and Offshore. Inshore sites were
completely enclosed by land. Nearshore sites were located within 500 m from shore.
Lagoonal sites were located further than 500 m from shore but within the rim of reef that
encircles the Bermuda Platform. Offshore sites were located along the inner edge of the
outer rim, either on the edge of large, sediment banks that sloped into the lagoon, or
amongst patch reefs.
Sediment: The size of the predominant grain size of the sediment found at the site was
assessed by eye. Finer-grained sediment particles indicate slower water flow in the site,
while coarser grain sizes indicate that high current speeds predominate.
Disturbance: The presence of a range of biological and anthropogenic sources of physical
damage were recorded.
Quantitative assessment:
Pilot Study
The minimum number of transects and quadrats needed to assess each site with a statistical
power of 0.8 was determined before intensive sampling was initiated. Three seagrass meadows,
qualitatively characterized as having dense, moderately dense and sparse shoot density, were
surveyed with fifty 25-cm2 quadrats placed along ten 10-m transects. Statistical analysis of the
data collected from these three seagrass sites determined that 35 quadrats produced data of only
marginally-lower statistical power while also allowing a much-faster overall sampling rate.
Intensive Sampling
Site-specific data for each selected area was collected by examining seven 10-m transects and
thirty-five 25-cm2 quadrats distributed over a 10-m by 30-m area. One 30-m tape was placed
along the long axis of the seagrass bed to make a baseline that could be followed back to the
boat. A marker buoy was used to indicate the end of the tape so that the boat did not have to
anchor in the middle of the seagrass bed. Each diver was assigned locations at 5-m intervals
along the tape where they were to place transect lines. At each location, one 10-m transect lines
was placed perpendicular to the tape measure. Divers then swam back along the length of the
transect, counting and recording all large invertebrates and fish found within a 1-m swath to their
right of the transect with the diver facing the direction of the tape measure. Fish were identified
to species and counted according to the following size categories: 0 - 5 cm; 5 – 10 cm; 10 – 20
cm; 20 – 30 cm; 30 – 40 cm; > 40 cm. Additionally, large (>3-cm) invertebrates, such as sea
urchins, gastropods and bivalves, were counted within a 1-m swath without regard to size. Once
the tape end of the transect was reached, the diver then returned down the line, assessing the
contents of quadrats placed at 5 points along the transect line as described in the next section
below. After the five quadrats were surveyed, the diver collected the transect tape and continued
to the next transect location they were assigned, or, if all transects were done, returned to the
boat.
Seagrass Density: Denser seagrass meadows are generally considered to be healthier than
sparse meadows (Duarte et al. 2006). Overall density was assessed following a 4 point
scale:
0: No seagrass present;
1: Sparse seagrass, mostly sand;
2: Moderately dense seagrass, blades between bundles overlap, sand visible;
3: Dense seagrass, blades heavily overlapping, no sand visible.
Seagrass Height (cm): Seagrass meadows with taller seagrass blades are considered
healthier than short or overgrazed seagrass meadows (Duarte et al. 2006). The Maximum
Canopy Height was measured in cm within each quadrat, with a ruler.
Relative Proportion of Seagrass: Each of the three principal species of seagrass in Bermuda
may dominate a seagrass meadow. There is some indication that Halodule sp. are more
indicative of disturbed seagrass meadows while Thalassia testudinum only occurs at the
end of the successional sequence and is an indicator of older, less disturbed meadows
(Tussenbroek et al. 2006). The relative proportion of each type of seagrass was assessed
in each quadrat on a 10 point scale.
Seagrass Counts: The number of short-shoot bundles within a defined square area provides
a quantitative measure of the density each seagrass species and all species overall. The
number of shoot bundles for each species of seagrass was counted in the lower left
subsection of the quadrat (12.5 x 12.5 cm area).
Epiphyte Density: Epiphytes are small plants and animals that grow on seagrass blades and
that can limit the photosynthetic ability of their host plants (Borowitzka et al. 2006). High
epiphyte densities indicate high levels of nutrient availability. The relative density of
epiphytic algae and sessile organisms on the blades was assessed on a 3 point scale:
0 = none, 1 = low density, 2 = high density
Sessile Colonies: Many kinds of sessile invertebrate live in seagrass meadows and may also
be affected by water quality or the overall health of the meadow . The predominant
groups of invertebrates are sponges, tunicates and bryozoans, and the presence of these
groups within each whole quadrat was recorded.
Calcareous Algae: Erect calcareous algae compete with seagrasses. Also since calcareous
algae species are better able to cope with high levels of nutrients than are seagrass species
their abundance may indicate poor water quality. Counts of individual colonies of
calcareous algae of the genera Penicillus, Halimeda and Udotea were counted within
each entire quadrat.
Results
Seagrass
Figure 8. Distribution of seagrass meadows observable in the 1997 BZS aerial mosaic.
Tier 3 Assessment
Physiographic Setting
Out of a total of 55 sites (Figure 9), 22 sites were located within enclosed waters, and classified
as “Inshore”. 16 sites were within 1 km from shore and classified as “Nearshore”, while 8 sites
were Lagoonal. Nine sites were located “Offshore” on the sandy inner margin of the rim reef that
encircles the lagoon of the Bermuda Platform. Fewer sites were surveyed in Lagoonal and
Offshore areas because Tier 2 assessment indicated that many meadows that were apparent in
1997 in these habitats were no longer in existence in 2004.
Figure 9. Location and physiographic setting of the survey sites of the 2004 seagrass
assessment effort.
Depth of Sites
The majority of the Tier 3 sites were found in depths of less than 3.2 m (10 ft; Figure 10). These
shallower sites tended to be near shore or in the sediment-filled basins on large reef complexes.
Sites off North Shore and around the outer rim did reach depths greater than 20 ft (7 m). No
seagrass meadows were apparent across the sediment basins that cover large areas of the reef
platform at an average depth of 15 m (40 ft). However, Halophila sp, which does not form
expansive meadows, is often found within these deeper habitats (Murdoch, pers. obs.; Manuel
and Coates 2007). The extent of Halophila across the deeper sediment basins is being assessed
as part of a comprehensive examination of these habitats by co-author S. Manuel and her team
(Dept. Conservation Services).
Figure 10. Depths of the Tier 3 sites in feet below mean tide.
Physical Disturbances
Blow Outs: Strong currents can cut into the matrix of seagrass meadows and excavate large
crater-like depressions that are commonly referred to as “blow outs”. Blow-outs can also occur
when moorings or anchors disrupt the integrity of the seagrass meadow, allowing currents to
remove sand. The majority of blow-outs in Bermuda occur in what appear to be exposed
meadows where storm-driven currents are highest (Figure 11). Inshore meadows protected by
land on most sides tend to not have blow-outs. The largest blow-outs, in both areal extent and
depth, are found at the western side of the reef platform in the extensive seagrass bed that
extends from the Western Ledge Flats south past Chub Head Beacon. Presumably hurricanes and
large storms generate intense currents in this area that create these impressive erosional features
Figure 11. Location of sites that had blow-outs within the study area.
Dredging
Dredging is the removal of seagrass and sediment with large digging machinery or the propeller
wash of boats. Seagrass meadows near land may be located within shallow bays that require
dredging for boats with deep drafts to enter. Seven of the 55 sites surveyed were recorded as
having been dredged, all at inshore or nearshore locations (Figure 12).
Seagrass Halos
Parrotfish, sea urchins and other herbivores that eat seagrass tend to be located near coral reefs
during daylight hours, presumably for the protection that is provided. Distinctive “halos” of
clean, bare sand are generally seen surrounding patch reefs that are located within seagrass
meadows, (Figure 13). These halos are created by the grazing activity of the herbivores, which,
in living near the reef, focus their attention on the seagrass closest to their reef refuge from
predators (Ogden and Zieman 1977).
Figure 13. The aerial image of a seagrass meadow above illustrates patch reefs surrounded
by halos of sand created by the grazing activity of herbivores. The image
encompasses an area ~300 m wide.
All nearshore and offshore sites that were near reefs or rocky outcrops typically possessed halos
(Figure 14). Since more reefs occur offshore than nearshore, the majority of halos were seen at
offshore sites. The most extensive areas for halo development were at the western-side of the
reef platform, perhaps due to higher rates of current flow in the area.
In order to obtain an estimate of the extent of mooring damage to seagrass meadows in inshore
habitats, all mooring buoys visible in the BZS aerial photomosaic were mapped into the GIS
database. Figures 16 - 18 show the distribution of mooring locations across Bermuda. Virtually
every enclosed bay and harbour has a very high density of moorings at present. Two particularly
dense congregations of moorings can be seen in Mills Creek and the surrounding bays near the
City of Hamilton, and Riddles Bay and the neighbouring bays in Southampton. Two inshore
areas that remained with a fairly low density of moorings in 2004 are Elys Harbour and the
waters around the Causeway and along Ferry Reach. (See figures below), although the number of
moorings in Elys Harbour has increased dramatically since then.
Figure 15. Aerial photograph of Mangrove Bay illustrating the extensive damage to
seagrass that is caused by boat moorings.
Figure 16. A detailed view of the density of moorings found in the bays and enclosed waters
located along the southwestern side of Pembroke Parish.
Figure 17. The location of moorings in Riddell’s Bay and Jew’s Bay in Southampton.
A.
B.
Figure 18. Grotto Bay (A) and Ely’s Harbour (B) are two of the last enclosed bays left in
Bermuda that have not yet been drastically damaged by a high density of
moorings, although mooring numbers in each bay have increased dramatically
in Ely’s Harbour since 1997.
Propeller Scars
Propellers on motorboats can plow up seagrass and leave a long-lasting trench in seagrass
meadows (Uhrin and Holmquist 2003; Figure 19). These scars can take many years to heal, and,
in high-impact areas, propeller damage can dramatically reduce the structural integrity and
biomass of the meadows.
Figure 19. Propeller scars appear as obvious strips of exposed sand surrounded by
seagrass. Image from: www.gulfmex.org/sites/ 2004/propscars_close_sm.jpg
All seagrass meadows apparent in the BZS aerial photographic mosaic were visually assessed for
the presence of propeller scars. The location and spatial extent of areas showing these scars were
mapped into the GIS database using Arcview (Figure 20). Thirty-three areas, scattered across
the length of Bermuda, were found to contain propeller scars. Since only shallow meadows can
be hit by the propellers of boats, only the more shallow nearshore and inshore seagrass meadows
are affected by this source of damage, while the lagoonal and offshore meadows are too deep to
be hit.
Figure 20. Red dots mark the locations of prop scars evident in the BZS aerial photographs
Seagrass Density
During Tier-3 assessments at each site, quadrats were visually assessed for the density of the
seagrass on a four point scale, with 3 representing the highest density and 0 representing no
seagrass present. Each habitat displayed a wide variety of seagrass densities (Figure 21),
although the offshore and lagoonal areas that appeared suitable for seagrass growth were often
bare. Many seagrass meadows in nearshore environments appeared moderately dense.
Figure 21. Map of the density of seagrass at each site. Overall density was assessed following
a 4 point scale:
0: No seagrass present;
1: Sparse seagrass, mostly sand;
2: Moderately dense seagrass, blades between bundles overlap, sand visible;
3: Dense seagrass, blades heavily overlapping, no sand visible.
Figure 22. Map of the average height of seagrass sites. Height categories are in cm units.
Red dots represent no seagrass or very short blades, yellow dots represent short
and heavily grazed seagrass, green dots represent healthy lengths of seagrass
and blue dots represent extremely long blades of seagrass at the research site.
Figure 23. Map of the Seagrass Index of Integrity for each site. Red dots are classified as
exceptionally unhealthy sites or where seagrass was once present but is now
absent. Yellow sites are classified as possibly undergoing decline. Green sites are
classified as healthy.
The seagrass Thalassia testudinum, or turtle grass, dominates seagrass meadows around Paradise
Lake, the islands of Somerset and Ireland Island, as well as out in the western seagrass meadows
near Chub Head. The manatee grass, Syringodium filiforme is predominant in the Great Sound
near Somerset and along the North Shore. Halodule wrightii (shoal grass) is abundant along the
eastern shores of St. Georges and St. Davids, within the Little Sound, along the reefline near Hog
Bay Park, and in the Western Ledge Flats. Halophilia decipiens was only observed at the mouth
of the bay on the North side of Morgan’s Point, although the species has also been recorded in
other surveys in St. Georges and Castle Harbour as well as in deep sediment-filled areas seaward
of the rim reef on the southwest side of the platform.
Figure 24. The pie charts located at each site mapped above represent the relative
proportion of each species of seagrass, based on counts of short shoots within
quadrats. Green represents Thalassia, Yellow represents Syringodium, Red
represents Halodule and Blue represent Halophila.
Figure 25. Relative density of Thalassia testudinum at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2
Figure 26. Relative density of Syringodium filiforme at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2.
Figure 27. Relative density of Halodule wrightii at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2.
Figure 28. Relative density of Halophilia decipien at each survey site. Density values
represented by each colour category in the legend represent shoots per m2.
Calcareous Algae
Calcareous macroalgae are marine plants that thrive under conditions of enhanced nutrients and
also compete with seagrasses for space. We counted the number of three types of calcareous
macroalgae within quadrats so that we could calculate the average densities of each group in
each surveyed seagrass bed. Higher densities of calcareous macroalgae may indicate higher than
normal levels of nutrients are affecting the seagrass meadows they are found in.
All three groups of calcareous algae exhibit high densities in two general areas near land (Figure
29 A-C). One area of high densities of calcareous algae is near Somerset Long Bay. There is a
cattle and sheep farm in the area, and perhaps this farm is promoting enhanced nutrient levels in
the seagrass meadows near it. The second area of enhanced calcareous algae is along the North
Shore and in the Castle Harbour area. These areas are near high densities of houses or caves, and
perhaps the groundwater in the area has enhanced nutrient levels and is more easily able to flow
to the neighbouring seagrass meadows through caves and channels in the rock.
A. Udotea
B. Penecillus
C. Halimeda
Figure 29 A-C. Maps of the density of each of 3 types of calcareous erect macroalgae across
the 55 survey sites. Density values represented by each colour category in the
legend represent the number of plants per 0.25m2 quadrat
Epiphytes
Epiphytes are small plants and animals that grow on seagrass blades and can limit the
photosynthetic ability of their host plants. High epiphyte densities indicate high levels of nutrient
availability. The densities of epiphytes were mapped across the Bermuda Platform using a three
point scale (Figure 30). Epiphytes seem to show a similar distribution to that of calcareous algae,
with highest epiphyte loads evident around Somerset Long Bay and the Bailey’s Bay area. The
appearance of enhanced levels of epiphytes in these areas further supports the hypothesis that the
seagrass meadows in these two areas are exposed to high levels of nutrients.
Figure 30. Density of epiphytes on a qualitative 3-point scale across the survey sites. Red =
high densities, yellow = moderate densities and green = very low densities of
epiphytes.
Comparisons between the Tier 2 and Tier 3 BREAM assessments of 2004 and the habitat maps
created from the 1997 aerial images corroborated the earlier findings of Ward (1999) and Vierros
et al (2002) that the total area of inshore and nearshore seagrass meadows tends to remain
relatively constant, even though the extent of individual meadows varied greatly through time. In
stark contrast, a drastic and large-scale decline in the total area of the offshore meadows located
in the lagoon and around the sandy inner rim of the reef platform was observed. Of a total of
~900 hectares of offshore meadows, ~475 hectares were reduced to sandy areas with dead,
decaying rhizomes or very sparsely distributed, severely-stressed plants of species T. testudinum,
S. filiforme or H. wrightii (Figure 31).
Figure 31. Map showing the extent of seagrass meadows in the summer of 2004 (green) and
the area lost to the recent mass-mortality event since 1997 (red).
It was unexpected that such a large amount of seagrass was lost offshore while little loss
appeared to affect inshore and nearshore meadows. Seventy percent of the seagrass meadows
that have experienced mass-mortality across the globe were affected by human-induced damage,
including coastal development, physical damage, anthropogenic pollutants and fertilizers,
introduced disease, high water temperatures, and anoxic sediments (Kirkman 1985, Short et al.
1987, Robblee et al. 1991, Duarte 2002). These same disturbance agents have been documented
within the inshore and nearshore seagrass meadows of Bermuda, and include anthropogenically-
enhanced nutrients (Morris et al. 1977, Barnes & Bodungen 1978, Bodungen et al. 1982, Jickells
et al 1986, Barnes 1994, McGlathery 1995, Jensen et al. 1998), chemical pollution (Barnes &
Bodungen 1978, Burns et al. 1990, Owen et al. 2002), physical damage by moorings, dredging,
boat propellers (BREAM, unpublished data), and increased sedimentation (Morris et al. 1977,
Barnes and Bodungen 1978, Bodungen et al. 1982, Pitt 1992). In contrast, offshore meadows in
Bermuda have not been exposed to anthropogenic stressors of seagrasses. Sedimentation and
turbidity caused by ship traffic is low (10-20 m, Smith 1998, CARICOMP 2000) as large vessels
rarely use the channel located farther from shore; anchoring and moorings are rare in offshore
meadows; the meadows are too deep to be hit by boats or propellers and are not dredged.
Additionally, water-column concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous (Morris et al. 1977,
Barnes & Bodungen 1978, Bodungen et al. 1982, Pitt 1992) and of measured pollutants (Burns et
al. 1990, Owen et al. 2002) have been consistently low at sampling sites located over 1 km from
shore.
While the causes of the decline and the factors preventing re-establishment of the meadows
cannot be determined from the data collected to this time, the broad scope of the mass-mortality
event in Bermuda, and the fact that it only occurred offshore, hints that factors which operate
over large spatial scales may have been involved. The chronically low primary productivity of
Bermuda seagrasses due to cool water temperatures and short day lengths in winter (Pitt 1992,
CARICOMP 1997, 2000, 2004, UNESCO 1998, Linton & Woodley 1998, RS unpublished data),
in addition to high levels of herbivory by parrotfish, turtles and snails (TJTM, PB, BTP pers.
obs.) may have interacted with a switch from a positive to negative condition of the North
Atlantic Oscillation that occurred in 1996 (Hurrell 1995, Visbeck et al. 2001) and that coincided
with colder-than-average seawater temperatures locally (Cohen et al. 2004, Lomas & Bates
2004) to trigger the mass-mortality event. Unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of the
fundamental and critical information needed to provide definitive explanations for both the cause
of the mass-mortality of the offshore seagrass meadows of Bermuda, and why the nearshore
meadows were not affected.
Inshore Zone
Seagrass beds within enclosed harbours and bay are those with which people are most familiar,
and it can be surprising to see how small inshore seagrass meadows are compared to nearshore
and offshore meadows that are rarely experienced by most people in Bermuda. Inshore meadows
face the brunt of anthropogenic disturbances, with chemical and nutrient pollution, boat
moorings, dredging activity and prop scars all having a negative impact. No inshore seagrass
meadow is completely protected from these impacts and some seagrass meadows, such as those
at the Foot of the Lane and in Riddell’s Bay, have been extirpated as a result. Most meadows,
however, have managed to persist despite constant anthropogenic impact, but would presumably
fare better if legal instruments to reduce or eliminate man’s effects were in place.
The most damaging factors to inshore seagrasses seem to be nutrient input from groundwater and
mooring scars. Groundwater is high in nitrogen compounds due to the means that household
sewage is disposed of locally, which is by cess pit. Mitigation of nutrients would therefore
necessitate a country-wide change in this practice and the development and implementation of a
national sewage system involving one of two feasible productions. Sewage could be collected via
a network of pipes under the streets, followed by treatment at a large-scale facility and disposal
into deeper oceanic waters away from the island. Alternatively, sewage could be treated within a
small treatment plant within each house, with the treated solids collected by a government or
private service, and the purified water either re-used by the home owner or released back into the
groundwater.
Mooring halos are a result of the manner that boat moorings are constructed in Bermuda.
Typically a large weight is placed on the seabed and connected to a surface buoy with a sequence
of chains of decreasing size. Heavy 1” diameter “ship’s chain” is connected directly to the
weight, and generally does most of the work of holding the boat in place and as such does not
move much or damage seagrasses. A smaller 3/8” to 1/2" chain then connects the ships chain to
the mooring float. It is this smaller chain that is dragged in a circle around the weight when a
boat is on the mooring. As the wind changes direction around the compass the boat will point
into the wind and thereby pivot around the weight. This pulls the lighter chain around the
mooring, and it is this action that initially pulverizes the seagrass bed, eventually killing the
seagrass and scouring a depression into the sea floor. New mooring technology, such as the
Halas Environmental Mooring (developed by John Halas, Park Biologist at Key Largo National
Marine Sanctuary, Florida, USA), now exists that is designed differently and which avoids the
creation of haloes of extirpated seagrass around mooring anchor points. In place of a heavy
weight and ground chain, an anchor is embedded into the sand or rubble and a flexible rope
attached which connects directly to the mooring buoy without contacting the sea floor. As
changing from traditional moorings to the newer Halas moorings would probably be
controversial initially, support for the more environmental moorings would have to first come
from Government and the marine insurance community.
Nearshore Zone
Two of the largest contiguous seagrass meadows in Bermuda are found in the nearshore zone.
One of these is a Thalassia-dominated seagrass meadow that extends from Pompano on the
western Southampton shore along the outer coast of Sandys parish all the way to Ireland Island.
A second meadow, dominated by Syringodium, extends from the eastern side of Dockyard,
across to Spanish Point and then along North Shore to Ferry Reach. Since both seagrass
meadows represent expansive resources for juvenile fishes, steps should be taken to ensure their
continued ecological health.
The only nearshore seagrass meadow that has noticeably declined is the one located in the
southern bay at Nonsuch Island. Other seagrass meadows on the north and northeastern side of
Nonsuch Island have also declined, although the reason for their reduction in density is not clear.
Other seagrass meadows are patchy in distribution and change in density through time. The
seagrass meadow near Fort St. Catherine characterizes this type of meadow (Ward 1999).
Lagoonal Zone
Seagrass meadows in the lagoonal zone appear to be the most affected by the large-scale die-off.
Large meadows that were apparent in photographs taken in 1997 of Crescent Reef flats, White
Flats and Ely’s Flats are either completely or predominantly absent now. Lagoonal seagrass
meadows may be more susceptible to decline due to lower rates of nutrient flux relative to
seagrass meadows located near the rim, where current speeds are higher, and those located
nearshore and inshore, where current speeds may be low but nutrient concentrations are higher.
Alternatively grazing by turtles may plausibly be higher in the central lagoon if turtles are
capable of detecting and avoiding nearshore boat activity or offshore predation.
Offshore Zone
Extensive seagrass meadows are still to be found on the west side of the Bermuda platform in the
Chub Head region. These meadows are lush and specious and may be protected from wave
action by the geomorphology of the coral reefs within which they are nested. Additional
meadows could be seen in the 1997 aerial image along the inner sandy margin from Chub Cut
northwest to Eastern Blue Cut. These meadows appear to be in decline as of 2004. An additional
large seagrass meadow, also in a state of decay, can be found 500-m east of North Rock, in an
area known as the Conch Grounds.
Protected status as well as mooring buoys to limit anchor damage would be beneficial in
maintaining the Chub Head seagrass meadows. The area is particularly attractive and could well
serve as a marine park for snorkellers and divers, especially if fishing were also limited within
the area.
Conclusions
Most of the research and monitoring of seagrass in Bermuda to this point has focused upon areas
of limited size, and primarily for short periods of time. The unexpected demise of a substantial
proportion of the total area of seagrass across the lagoon indicates the Bermuda region is
probably now affected by processes that encompass much larger spatial scales, highlighting the
need for hierarchically-structured, broad-scale and long-term, multidisciplinary research and
management. Recently, other marine ecosystems in the Caribbean have experienced similarly
drastic increases in the scales over which ecological change have occurred (e.g. Aronson et al
2002, Gardner et al. 2003 ), indicating that the entire Western Atlantic may be experiencing an
unprecedented modification in its ability to sustain marine ecosystems. Locally, the long-term
effect of the loss of 500 hectares of critical marine habitat is a matter of extreme concern and
heightened research focus so as to guide future management.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported through a grant from the Department of Conservation Services and Mr.
& Mrs. Anthony Jonklaas of the Kenridge Fund. The authors offer thanks to the many diligent
research assistants, student interns and volunteers for assisting with the various seagrass projects.
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Site # 2004001
Bailey’s Bay
May 21, 2004
Thad Murdoch (TM), Annie Glasspool (AG), Sarah Manuel (SAM), Mark Outerbridge (MO)
General Setting
Bailey’s Bay is a bay on the North Shore of Bermuda with multiple openings to the north lagoon.
Several boat moorings and a public dock are found at the east end of the bay, while many houses
line the shore. The south-western end of the bay is deeper than the northeastern end, and is lined
by steep cliffs and possesses several small rocky islands. The bay is exposed to both the gentle
SW breezes of summer and the strong winds of winter, although the rocky isles along the
northwestern margin provide a measure of protection.
The seagrass beds in Bailey’s Bay are patchily distributed. Thalassia, Syringodium and Halodule
are all present although the latter two species are only found in small patches while Th is found
across the Bay. Halos around the moorings in the NE and several prop scars represent man-
caused disturbances in the bay. Large blow-outs are also found, possibly caused by storms and
hurricanes. Several blow-outs have steep margins and are possibly growing in size – something
worth studying as Tier 2. Additionally the margins of the blow-outs appear to be acting as a
refuge for the small green and bucktooth parrotfish that graze the seagrass beds. Would be
interesting to see whether the parrotfish grazing is beneficial or deleterious to the seagrass plants.
epiphytes. Juvenile breams, small and medium sized Slippery Dicks and the seagrass-associated
parrotfish were the primary fish seen in the bed.
Notes
Since the survey was the first to be done on the BREAM project we were basically testing how
the protocol worked and whether the number of quadrats etc were sufficient to fulfill the needs of
the project.
AG had left a few artifical reef structures made from chickenwire that she had used to assess fish
recruitment. We found one near the middle of the site that is now heavily encrusted in Millipora
and acting as a small reef. Near it was found a black frogfish about 5” long. Much excitement
about the frogfish and photos were taken etc.
Site # 2004003
Bay near Tom Moore’s Tavern and Walsingham
May 27th, 2004
TM, AG, MO
General Setting
This is a small bay located near the bay that Tom Moore’s Tavern sits on. The bay opens to
Castle Harbour on its north and east sides and is protected to the south and west by fairly high
hills. A line of reefs protects the bay from heavy waves from the east and north. One or two
moorings as well as a dredged area near a private dock are found here. A small boat channel runs
from the Harbour into TM bay. The seagrass in the bay is all Th, with several blow holes and
grazing scars from turtles and parrotfish evident (worth investigating). A cave is located in the
extreme southern end of the bay, and emits a stream of cold water, presumably only on the
falling tide. Seagrass development near the outflow for the cave is limited, possibly because of
temperature stress (WI). Several large tree branches were scattered around the bed, presumably
from the last hurricane, but branches did not seem to attract fish or generate halos.
The site is located about 10-m south of the dredged area near the private dock in 3 ft of water.
This location was selected even though it is at the far southern end of the Walsingham seagrass
bed overall as it appeared the densest and possibly the most healthy in the area. Yellow algal
epiphytes were prevalent in the northern half of the site but declined in density to the south. A
couple of sea cucumber were seen in the bed but not surveyed. Seagrass was very dense but few
fish were observed. An unidentified tube worm was fairly prevalent in the SG bed. At the ends
of transects closer to the shore seagrass height was diminished and epiphyte load was very low.
Notes
TM cunningly forgot to bring enough datasheets for 10 transects, but we were able to fit 2
transects worth of data on each datasheet. TM has now modified the datasheets to fit 2 transects
on each side of each sheet. Water temp = 77F, not horrible but still not pleasant. Power analysis
of the seagrass counts data from Baileys Bay and this bay indicate that 35 quadrats per site may
be sufficient to assess the sites instead of the 50 quadrats assessed currently. Analysis of a
degraded bed will be done next to see if 35 quadrats is sufficient for degraded beds as well.
June 1, 2004
Tier 1 assessment: 30 sites
Paradise Lakes, Point Shares and Hamilton Harbour around to Salt Kettle
TM, AG, MO, SAM, JC, Jessica Stella (JS)
Went to survey Paradise Lake and Five Star island but the PL site was totally lacking seagrass.
Changed plan and instead did Tier 1 assessments of the presence, SG species presence and
general condition of 33 sites that appeared to have seagrass in the 1996 aerials. Data entered into
the Excel spreadsheet and copied below. Also need to enter data into Arcview.
Pitts Bay – no SG
Foot of Lane – too murky to tell but SAM saw SG from shore
Buena Vista – NO SG
White’s Island – Thal near beach, abundant ECA and Srad on shore. Lots of trash and
wreckage
Duperau dock – some Thal
East side of Friths Point – patchy Thal near shore
Prudden;’s Bay – filled with CLADOPHORA, some Thal in NE end maybe
Prudence Bay – outer western side – large amount of trash but small Thal bed near seawall
Salt Kettle – tremendous amount of trash, presumably washed in. Sparse Thal bed in eastern
end near beach and the surrounding seawalls. ECA zone seaward. SG used to be thicker
A large shallow (3 ft depth) seagrass bed dominated by Thalassia, bounded on 2 sides by islands
and open on the other 2 sides. The west end is open to the reef platform while the eastern end
opens onto Ely’s Harbour. The site is a popular area for dayboaters. A few prop scars are
apparent and the bed is exposed to strong winter waves. Fish abundance on the day of
assessment was particularily low, although fairly large schools of fish are often seen on the rocks
at the western mouth of the bed (TM pers. Obs).
After much discussion we decided to survey the Syringodium bed located on the southern end of
the Bay, as it was not impacted by moorings nor by day-boaters. Water clarity was low as the
area looked deep but was actually around 8 ft deep. Data analysis indicated the bed was sparse
at the western end, but increased in density with proximity to shore.
Snorkel assessments of the state of the seagrass in 4 bays near Riddle’s Bay and Jew’s Bay were
done between 11 am and 1 pm.
(1) was labeled Mitchell’s Bay after one of the neighbourhood land owners. The bay is very
small with a hardground reef bounding the northwest side and the rocky shore and 2
docks bounding the western and southern sides. The eastern end opens up onto the body
of water between Darrels Island and the Southampton Shore. A small Thalassia bed is
located alone a contour following the shore, grading into a Halimeda/Urchin zone in the
middle of the bay at around 12 ft. A small amount of trash and a couple of moorings as
well as the docks are found in the bay.
(2) Jone’s Bay, named after the Jones family that own the private property to the north.
There is a couple of moorings and a dock on the N side, and the Riddle’s Bay golf course
bounds the E and S sides, while the W side opens to the Little Sound. A dense Thalassia
bed is located in the extreame NE end of the bay, growing in a clean sandy bottom.
Several large bream were seen cruising the bed. To the south, taking up the majority of
the bay is a hardground reef with high densities of Siderastrea radians and rather large
Porites porites colonies (for Bermuda). Also vary abundant are a high diversity of
sponges and bivalves and filter feeding gastropods. Interesting site for future research.
(3) “Golf Ball Bay” is a very shallow bay that cuts quite far into the shore. It is bounded on
almost all sides by rocky shore and the golf course, and a small island and hardground
reef protects the western mouth of the bay. Exceptionally dense Thalassia covers the
entire bay, with sparse Syringodium also present, as well as Halimeda etc. Sea urchins
are in high abundance, which might make surveys difficult at low tide. A great many
golfballs litter the bed, many being carried about by sea urchins. Three fairways abut the
bay and is probably why so many golfballs get lost here. The reef outside the bay is
covered in Ssid and some Ppor as well as a multitude of sponge and molluscans species
as well as a healthy fish population. A site worthy of long-term assessment.
(4) The large seagrass beds that lie between the beach with the 2 wrecks and Five Star island
were assessed on snorkel. Syringodium dominates in about 15+ ft with Thalassia dominating in
shallower water and in a large bed closer to the island. A couple of conchs were seen as well as
healthy calc. alg. beds and many fish, particularly around the rock outcrop between the beach
and 5Star. Moderate amounts of trash located along the shore and around the houses south of the
island.
(5) Mangrove Bay West side - a large dense Thalassia bed is located within the bay near the
public beach and extending north along the shore past the private beaches, as well as to
the east past the Somerset Boat Club. Many mooring halos.
(6) A Syringodium bed is located at site 6, which is located about 100 ft east of a private
dock and beach. Moderately dense nearer shore but peters out at around 15-20 ft farther
from shore.
(7) Gilberts Bay North, a very exposed bay with cliffs and a large seawall/dock along the
western shore. 12-20 ft deep. Sparse to Moderate Thalassia coverage and fairly abundant
seaurchins (BUCKET SURVEY)
(8) Gilbert’s Bay South, bounded on the west by a beach. Thalassia growing in a dense but
very small bed near the beach, and in a sparse, larger bed in about 10 ft of water roughly
50 ft offshore. Wreckage and mooring weights and sparse trash observed. Large boat
moored along the shore.
(9) Cavello Bay. The bay is almost completely enclosed with only a fairly small mouth
facing SE. Houses and docks surround the bay with a small muddy beach and rocky
shore found along the northern side and the large ferry dock located centrally on the
western shore. The bay is roughly 8 ft deep. Water clarity was only about 2 ft when
surveyed. Bottom silty but with SPARSE Thalassia and CCA. Many moorings and lots of
trash.
(10) Boaz Island Public dock. A small bay surrounded by a seawall and dock to the S
and W, and rocky shore along the N. Opens to the East. Large amount of trash but still
able to support a moderately dense Thalassia bed with fair numbers of sea urchins. Not
big enough to survey but probably at high risk due to mistreatment.
(11) Greys Bridge South. Bucket survey. Moderate Thalassia, Mod Urchins, some
trash
(12) Grey’s Bridge North – moderate thalassia and syringodium
(13) Brigade bay – small exposed bay near the old boys brigade building. Very rocky
shore and some shoreline development. Sparse reef development to the north. Moderate
Thal and Ser, mod urchins
Offshore and west end seagrass surveys – July and August 2004
Aug 20th Drift snorkels to assess reefs and seagrass and search for wrecks with PR
Did 2 drift assessments on snorkel using Feral Cat with Phillipe and 3 interns (Don, Adrian and
Meagan). Tied a set of ropes off F-cat including 2 long buoyed lines so that we could snorkel
away from the boat while it drifted and not have to swim all the way back to the boat. I
videotaped reefs on the first and second transect, also wreck footage on video. Saw several large
seagrass beds, isolated pockets of Black-band disease implying it is patchy at the 10m+ scale.
Also saw 2 large black grouper and found 2 wrecks on the more SW of the 2 drifts illustrated in
photo above. Will have to research Lyndon Devantier’s Manta Tow protocol to see if we can use
it to assess coral reefs – as we were able to cover about 1 km per hr. May be fast way to collect
data between sites.
Note that the seagrass in the above image was still present – although heavily grazed by turtles at
times. The seagrass bed in the upper left corner in the large sand hole on the outside of the rim is
still there too – perhaps even larger than in the image.
23rd August 2004 – very fast visual assessment of Thalassia beds to determine the extent of the
massive seagrass die-off offshore. Only TM and MS, using Gray Dog and only bucket surveys
as snorkeling each site took too long.
First checked out area around the stakes and bouys near W. Blue Cut etc. All the seagrass
(circled in red above) in this area is either dead and gone, leaving only rhizomes, or very sparse
and unhealthy looking. The green circle indicated the location of a boat intentionally sank by
Teddy Tucker back before 1984.
The second area surveyed was the large extent of reef between the bouy near Chub Head and the
area where Ely’s Flats connect to the rim reef near Chub Cut. The area represents roughly a 5km
by 1km complex. Seagrass beds were found to still be dense and healthy looking, but with turtle
grazing. Water clarity was not great and there was a lot of ground to cover but overall the region
seems still in good shape. Will have to do seagrass surveys throughout this western seagrass
habitat, especially since all the seagrass in the Ely’s Flat complex is dying or has died in the past
5-10 years.
The seagrass in the NE part of the Ely’s Flat complex, near the Vixen, is dead and only rhizomes
remain. Jennifer Gray does the turtle project on this reef and should have records describing the
decline of this habitat in her field notebooks. She also has samples of blades from every seagrass
bed she has ever surveyed.
Northern Site – very sparse seagrass with lots of dead rhizomes. Lots of Calianasa burrows. Very
hard to see SG until in the water and down near the bottom. Blades very short and very thin. Lots
of burrows – about 1 ft wide and 1 ft deep – possibly from eagle rays??
Southern Site – dying as well. Small shoots and grazing still occurring.
TM, SM, AN
2 days of seagrass surveys along the western shore of Bda. The southern spot devoid of
seagrass, although there was SG there in the past according to SAM and JGray. Halimeda and
other calc. alg. etc present. Some Syr. seagrass closer to shore near the tracking station. Seahorse
on Halimeda. Top Shells along the shore.
Hog Bay Rim Reef site – Syringodium bed with lots of small parrot fish in about 12 ft of water
Hog Bay shoreline site – Very dense Thal. covered in epiphytes. Lots of turtle and parrotfish
grazing, lots of snails. Short blades but thick.
Gun Point Bay – thick long blades of Thal, lots of parrotfish etc. Healthy bed.
Both sites have very dense and healthy seagrass beds with long, thick blades. Blowouts with 4+
ft edges, and high grazing from parrotfish and snails. Big burrows in beds created by sand tile
fish.
Sept.8th 2004
TM and MO
Survey mixed seagrass beds west of Elys Flat and North of Chub Head.
Named sites Rockfish Shoals North and South (but really is Western Ledge Flats area). The
north site was just north of the funny faro west of Ely’s Flat. This bed was heavily grazed by
turtles as well as dying from some sort of wasting disease. Bed fairly dense at one end but very
sparse at the other. Very heavy Calianassa burrow density and very few fish. Mostly
Syringodium at the sparse end but Thal dominant in large areas too. Halophila also present.
The southern site was a dense, healthy Thalassia bed located roughly half way between the
northern site and the other site north of Chub head. Large halos and storm-generated scouring.
Substantial drop off into sand holes. Parrot fish and bite marks abundant. Many “reef” snails and
hermit crabs in the sand, as well as many green herbivorous snails on seagrass blades. Corals had
spawned earlier in the week and there were planula everywhere, including down in the seagrass
looking for settlement sites presumably.
Also surveyed Margaret’s Bay nearshore seagrass bed between Elys Harbour and Daniel’s Head.
(Mapped on next photo below) This bed is in about 4 ft of water and has heavy epiphytation, but
was quite dense. Water clarity low and generally seemed of lower quality. Halos and wash out
areas present. Halodule replacing Thalassia in blow outs, also abundant erect cal. Alg. – possible
contamination of high nutrient porewater from the many houses on the shore.
Sept 14 – 18 MO and SAM – seagrass beds around Ely’s Flat and Somerset – need to find out
sites.
Sept 28. TM, MO, SAM, JC – survey seagrass bed to NE of Baileys Bay entrance and in mouth
of Shelley Bay. BB site in 25 ft of water with moderately dense syringodium. No calc alg. Lots
of bites and very murky. Shelly Bay site in 18 ft and mixed Thal and Syr with abundant calc. alg.
As well as large leafy Caulerpa plants in abundance. Lots of ballast stone too. SB site healthier
and more diverse. Lots of sponges including what may be bath sponges.
Oct 7 – TM, SAM, MO, AN –s urvey 4 sites along northern rim and at crescent. All sites either
devoid of sg or with dying or very sparse sg.
North Rock Conch Flats – grass dying, and conchs looking very old and probably starving.
Should be moved to healthy beds!
Hog Flatts – deep sandy site with very sparse syring. Perhaps no seagrass here in the past
although should support it. No rhizomes. Other spots near here had sg in aerial tho.
Snake Pit south buoy – very sparse sg. Very high current
Crescent – Robbies N CARICOMP site. No sg in plots by some very very sparse Thalassia is
present and appears to be survivors from the die-off
Oct 13 – TM, SAM, MO, AN survey 3 sites in Hamilton Harbour and Paradise lakes.
One site in mixed sg near that dock at Burts Island. Inshore there are hundreds of tomtates living
in Thal. Healthy although cladophora bed to north seems to be huge and encroaching.
2nd site in Pruddens Bay at J.Pitts old site. Seagrass dense but the bed is shrinking and the bay is
very polluted and has cladophora. Seems Clad dying and Dictyota taking over. Urchins.
3rd site at east entrance to Paradise lake, near the shore on Long Island by the cottage. This bed
has very long sg, (60 cm!) very hard to survey shoots as they are down in the muck. Lots of
pinfish and other fish. No sg grazing to speak of. Water getting cold moorings smack in the
middle of the bed. Shame to screw it up. Last sg survey for 2004.
Gibbets Island (NS) Offshore Ser. Bed 14:50:00 08-Nov-04 Nearshore Y Sand L
Somerset Long Bay(W) 32 18.362 64 52.724 12:45:00 09-Sep-04 nearshore 1 1 1 all low
Tile Fish Hole 32 18.381 64 58.407 13:45:00 01-Sep-04 lagoon T & PF 1 sand moderate
2km SW Chub Head 32 16.518 64 58.176 11:00:00 15-Sep-04 offshore PF sand medium
4km SW Chub Head 32 15.777 64 56.525 13:00:00 15-Sep-04 offshore sand medium
Inner Ely's Flat (north end) 12:23:00 8/25/04 lagoon Y Y Die-off Sand Low
Inner Ely's Flat South 13:30:00 25-Aug-04 lagoon Y Y Die Off Gravel Low
Sidewalk Central (Outer Ely's Flat) 2:40pm 25-Aug-04 Lagoon Y Y Die Off Gravel L
Boaz Island 32 18.479 64 51.037 11:00:00 05-Oct-04 inshore T & PF coarse sand low
Annex Basin Mouth 32 16.319 64 51.621 14:45:00 05-Oct-04 inshore course sand low
North Rock Conch Ground32* 28.338 64* 44.843 11:10 AM 06-Oct-04 Lagoon y die off Course SandL
Hog Pasture (S of Hog Bre32* 27.241 64* 49.31 12:45:00 06-Oct-04 Lagoon Sand L
Pruddens Bay 32 17.032 64 47.487 12:00:00 13-Oct-04 inshore 1 1 cladophera all low
Elys Flatt (W) 32 18.990 64 55.430 12:00 14-Sep-04 offshore T 1 rhizomes expsand low
Long Island (East) 32 17.136 64 49.123 13:45:00 13-Oct-04 inshore 1 1 moorings all low
VixenFlat(W) 32 18.814 64 53.019 13:30:00 14-Sep-04 nearshore T 1 rhizomes expcourse sand low
ElysFlatt (E) 32 18.097 64 54.203 11:00:00 14-Sep-04 offshore coarse sand low
Clearwater 20-Jul-04