70 



Because more freshwater enters the East Branch, the higher 

 densities of eelgrass there are consistent with higher bed survival near 

 streams observed elsewhere after the wasting disease Rasmussen (1977) . 

 This does not explain bed abundance near the mouth, although it is 

 possible that these beds were recruited after the disease. 



No photographs were obtained showing changes in eelgrass abundance 

 due to the 1944 hurricane. During the 1950's, three sets of imagery are 

 available: 22 April 1954, 1 May 56, and 22 September 1959, but none of 

 these surveys had complete coverage of submerged features. The 1954 

 survey of the West Branch shows eelgrass is absent from the north end of 

 that river, but abundant near the mouth of the estuary. The absence of 

 eelgrass near in the upper part of the River is due to the fact that 

 even today, many of these beds in shallow water are annual, and do not 

 appear until after June. 



Like the 1954 imagery, 1956 photographs show eelgrass nearly 

 absent in the upper West Branch, but eelgrass is diminished near the 

 mouth as well. In particular, beds around Whites Flat and Bailey Flat 

 are substantially reduced, even though this photograph series was taken 

 later in the growing season. The cause of this decline appears to be do 

 to the September 1954 hurricane, and there are several changes in 

 bathymetry near the mouth such as shoal movement around Bailey Flat, and 

 enlargement of a channel across Whites Flat. 



The September 1959 survey included only the upper East Branch, but 

 eelgrass is more abundant than summer 1942, and occurs as large 

 continuous beds. The northern limit of growth has extended 100 m 



