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Chapter 5 

 Management considerations of eelgrass populations in Massachusetts 



Resource assessment 



It is generally agreed that eelgrass beds are important to the 

 ecology of the coastal zone, but there is no consensus on how to manage 

 this resource. The newly realized ecological, economic, and aesthetic 

 value of eelgrass beds and the biological community they support has 

 brought them under some local, state, and federal coastal resource 

 regulations. Because there is no consistent management policy 

 concerning eelgrass beds, it is worth considering how governmental 

 agencies in Massachusetts manage these communities. 



In general, the effects of eelgrass bed removal on coastal 

 production and ecology are rarely considered. To date, most decisions 

 in Massachusetts relating to eelgrass beds have centered on physical 

 removal or damage from dredging projects, or pier construction. Rarely 

 are changes in water quality induced by these or other projects 

 considered, but potential changes in water quality may be weighed when 

 the overall "health" of a bay is considered. Often the decision to 

 dredge through an eelgrass bed is ultimately based on whether these beds 

 also coincide with shellfish beds. 



Federal, state, and local laws 



The coast of Massachusetts is regulated principally by town 

 conservation commissions, local planning boards, the State Department of 



