The Eelgrass Resilience Project was a three-year collaborative research effort designed to bridge science and management and address eelgrass habitat loss in the Great Bay Estuary, NH. The estuary is currently classified as nitrogen impaired, primarily due to significant declines in eelgrass (Zostera marina). Despite more than a decade of discussion, uncertainty remains about the factors affecting eelgrass health and the role of nitrogen reduction—creating challenges for effective action.

This project brought together hydrodynamics, biogeochemistry, and ecology to explore how factors such as water residence time, nitrogen loading, in-situ nitrogen processing, sediment dynamics, and light availability influence eelgrass resilience. The team assessed spatial trends across the estuary and conducted a cutting-edge experiment to measure nitrogen processing along a flow path through an eelgrass meadow. In this webinar, we’ll present our scientific methods, key findings, and project deliverables. We’ll also share insights from working with a Project Advisory Committee that connected our team with municipal and state decision-makers, as well as national experts who provided real-time peer feedback throughout the project.