22 



For mapping and data management purposes, this eelgrass coverage 

 was subdivided approximately 400 "beds" as listed in Appendix III. 

 Because eelgrass may grow continuously along several kilometers of shore 

 with different levels of density, and sometimes span several 

 photographs, the borders of the beds that I have drawn often reflect the 

 scale of the imagery, extent of photograph coverage, and idiosyncrasies 

 of the mapping process. Thus, it is not meaningful to say that town A 

 has more eelgrass beds than town B; instead it is more appropriate to 

 discuss the total eelgrass bed area in each town. 



Less than one third of the eelgrass in Buzzards Bay occurs in 

 shallow, protected bays and estuaries with restricted water flows; the 

 remainder occurs in higher energy, better flushed offshore waters. 

 Because water transparency is not good in shallow, poorly flushed 

 embayments, particularly where there is considerable human development, 

 eelgrass grows only to 0.6 - 1.8 m. In cleaner, offshore, well flushed 

 waters, eelgrass grows to 3.0 to greater than 6.0 m (Fig. 3). This 

 distinction is relevant because each of these areas are host to 

 different communities of animals. 



In shallow, quiescent lagoons, eelgrass grows as high as the low 

 water mark, and annual plants may even occur on intertidal flats. 

 Plants in shallow areas are available to, and important food sources for 

 waterfowl, particularly Canada geese. These beds are also important 

 habitats and nursery grounds for estuarine fish and invertebrates. In 

 contrast, eelgrass growing along exposed beaches may begin 1.0 m MLW or 

 deeper because of wave action, and leaves are generally not available to 



