75 



fact is demonstrated by the core data, because eelgrass was continuously 

 abundant west of Great Island prior to the wasting disease, but is not 

 indicated there on these early charts. If recent photographs can be 

 used as a guide to determine the nearshore and northern limits of 

 growth, it would appear that all but the deepest parts of the Bay was 

 filled with eelgrass early in this century (Fig. 4b). 



A 12 December 1938 is difficult to interpret because of unsuitable 

 field conditions and poor imagery, and virtually no eelgrass is visible. 

 No eelgrass grew around Marshy Pt. or south to Ricketsons Pt. The 

 bottom of the inner harbor appears uniform and free of eelgrass which 

 could be the result of the September 1938 hurricane, or image quality. 



In contrast, a winter 1941 photograph shows eelgrass abundant 

 throughout the bay (Fig. 4c) . This photograph is remarkable because 

 eelgrass is dense and continuous, even though much of the western and 

 northern ends of the Bay are iced over, and obscures the full extent of 

 eelgrass cover. At this time eelgrass began to colonize near Giffords 

 Boat Yard and between Marshy Point and Ricketsons Point, as well as 

 among the boulder field east of Ricketsons Pt. A photograph taken June, 

 1942 has too much water turbidity for interpretation, but parts of some 

 1941 beds are visible. 



A September 1951 image shows that eelgrass is widespread, but is 

 largely confined to the margins of the harbor, and no patches occur in 

 water great than 1.0 m MLW (Fig. 4d) . Outside the bay, however, 

 eelgrass is expanding and becoming more dense around Marshy Point and 

 south to Ricketsons Point. Some patches are present on the west side of 



