b. Scuba-assisted workers can plant at least 15 percent faster than the 

 wading, nonscuba assisted workers, but the wage difference has always resulted 

 in nonscuba workers being the most economical when conditions permit. 



c. Approximately 43 man-hours are required to plant the 6,440 planting 

 units for a 1-acre, low current planting. 



d. Approximately 73 man-hours are required for planting the 10,890 

 planting units for a 1-acre, high current area. 



4. Total Operation . 



a. Labor per acre of low current area: 



Harvest 5 man-hours 



Preparation 64 man-hours 



Planting 43 man-hours 



Total 112 man-hours 



Labor per acre of high current area: 



Harvest 9 man-hours 



Preparation 109 man-hours 



Planting 73 man-hours 



Total 191 man-hours 



With the improved seagrass planting technique presented in this report, sea- 

 grass meadows can be established with a labor effort of 100 to 200 man-hours 

 per acre (250 to 500 man-hours per hectare) . 



VII. SUMMARY 



Labor estimates for transplanting eelgrass have been reported as 

 high as 4,081 man-hours per acre (10,084 man-hours per hectare) for plugs and 

 as low as 189 man-hours per acre (467 man-hours per hectare) for unanchored 

 shoots (see Table). The improved planting units described in this report are 

 as stable as plugs and are as labor-saving as unanchored shoots. They have 

 proven to be effective in a wide range of current and wave regimes. 



The labor estimates included in this report and in most literature 

 on this subject reflect only the effort required to perform specific planting 

 operations. The additional costs that are associated with actual projects 

 such as mobilization, planning and administration, transportation of materials, 

 travel, equipment, downtime, overhead, and profit are not considered in these 

 estimates. Because of this, contract costs are generally much higher than 

 reported labor estimates imply. Contract costs for the improved planting 

 technique presented here will range from $10,000 to $15,000 per acre 



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