-Selgrgiss is also thriving along- the entire length of Fire Island 



Beach, from Bellport to Tire Island Inlet. This particular growth is 

 composed of small patches averaging perhaps 5 feet in diameter. Only a 

 few localities are entirely devoid of Zostera . In places the small 

 patches are contiguous and form solid "beds covering an acre or more. 

 Protahly the hest growth in this section occurs off Cherry Grove. There 

 the "beds are well-matted, the rootstocks robust and regularly branching, 

 and the leaves reach 15 inches in length. Another good stand grows near 

 the Lone Hill Coast Guard Station, forming smaller beds, but the leaves 

 reach 25 inches in length. ■-■-..■• 



The rather sporadic growths at the Jive Islands seem not to have 

 improved at all this summer. At present, small plants of Zostera are 

 scattered through the Ruppia beds off West Tire Island, and small clumps 

 are present on the East Island flats, especially 'toward the deeper water. 

 Eelgrass is faced with a difficult problem of exi^itence in this particular 

 locality, as sand is drifted in over the beds by the heavy tides of Fire 

 Island Inlet. On Oak Island flats, where a slight growth of Zostera 

 occurs, the drifting sand does not seem seriously to affect the beds. At 

 the Eire Islands, however, the accumulation of sand in places may be as 

 deep as 5 or 5 inches, which is certainly detrimental to growing plants. 



Shinnecock "Bsy has one of the best growths of eelgrass on the 

 North Atlantic coast. The beds extend along the south shore of the bay, 

 reaching their peak of development near the Tiana Beach causeway. Shallow- 

 water plants average 15 inches in height, while those of deeper water may 

 be fully 30 inches. Smaller beds also are found on the north shore, es- 

 pecially in Tiana Bay and in upper Shinnecock Bay, near the Peconic Canal. 

 A thriving growth seen in Shinnecock Bay late in the spring was observed 

 to have suffered somewhat of a slump toward early summer. Later in the 

 summer and early in the fall, however, the eelgrass not only improved 

 after this midseason ebb, but even surpassed earlier growths. Fruiting 

 was quite heavy late in June, and seedling plants were found there at 

 that time . 



The rootstocks invariably have 6 or 7 persisting leaf bases on the 

 growing end, indicating ample leaf production for the past season, and 

 accounting for the heavy drift windrows of leaves on the shores of the bay. 

 Whether this late vegetative growth was stimulated by disease damage to 

 foliage is a question. At any rate, it was accompanied by a vigorous ex- 

 tension of rootstock systems, and this resulted in strengthening the beds 

 and in some invasion of new territory. 



Moriches and Peconic Bays were examined and no sign of eelgrass vvas 

 noted. Only a few straggling plants have been seen in these bays during 

 the past six years. Small patches were reported by fishermen on Jamaica and 

 Hempstead Bays. Only blackened rootstock fragments, however, were found 

 on Quantuck Bay and Ogden Pond, where members of the coast guard reported 

 an encouraging growth last season. Mecox Bay contained small isolated 

 plants scattered along the west shore and large (15-inch) plants in small 

 patches to the south. A fair to moderate growth of eelgrass has occurred 

 in this bay during each of the past five years. The growth cannot be 

 stabilized, however, because of constantly changing ecological conditions 

 caused oy the repeated opening (some of it artificial) and closing of the 

 inlet. 



