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U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to Visit
Damaged Seagrass Habitat in Florida Keys
Seagrass Recovery will Host Senior Congresswoman to Honor Florida’s “Seagrass Awareness
Month” in March
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida (March 14, 2008) – Seagrass Recovery, a leading provider
of solutions to help save the nation’s oceans, estuaries and shorelines, announced today the company will host U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for a
tour of damaged seagrass habitat and to demonstrate seagrass restoration methods
in the Florida Keys on Saturday, March 15, 2008.
This event pays tribute to “Seagrass Awareness Month” throughout Florida in March
and is intended to help raise public awareness of the serious environmental and
economic impact seagrass losses cost the state.
Seagrass Recovery’s management team and operational staff will give Congresswoman
Ros-Lehtinen a boat tour of damaged seagrass in the vicinity of the Keys’ Seven
Mile Bridge in Marathon, Florida. In addition to viewing first-hand the significant
damage caused to seagrass by pollution, boat propellers and groundings, the Congresswoman
will also help apply a proprietary technology used by Seagrass Recovery to help
restore seagrass habitat.
“We are honored to give Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen a tour of the increasingly significant
environmental damage being caused to
seagrass beds in the Keys. Not only will
she see these damages up close and personal, she’ll also literally get in the water with us to help demonstrate how solutions can be applied to this devastating problem.
We can’t think of a better way to help educate the public about ‘Seagrass Awareness Month,’ the dangers to seagrass and the solutions available to us today,” said Jeff Beggins, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Greengrass Holdings, LLC, which purchased the assets and technologies
of Seagrass Recovery in July 2008.
“March is ‘Seagrass Awareness Month’ in Florida, so I’m looking forward to personally
examining what I understand is already a serious problem with our seagrass habitat
in the Keys and throughout Florida. It’s one thing to understand alarming
data on seagrass losses, quite another to see it in-person from the air and water.
I’m pleased I’ll also be able to learn about solutions that have a proven record
of restoring seagrass habitat, which is so important to the environmental and economic
health of Florida. I hope this tour will not only raise public awareness about
the importance of seagrass, but will also encourage individuals and businesses alike
to think about innovative ways to contribute to efforts that restore this valuable
marine ecosystem that truly defines the beauty of our state and preserves the value
of our treasured coast lines,” said Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
As Governor Charlie Crist stated in his official “Seagrass Awareness Month” proclamation
on February 29, 2008, the seagrass habitat in Florida is the world’s largest and
supports hundreds of varieties of marine life species. And it’s not only a
critically important environmental ecosystem, it’s also of tremendous economic value:
an estimated $71 million of commercial fish and shellfish dependent upon seagrass were harvested in 2006.
Unfortunately, however, Florida is losing seagrass meadows at an alarming rate,
particularly in the Florida Keys.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) concluded that in 1950
there were five million acres of coastal seagrass surrounding Florida. Since that time over two million acres have been
lost.
In addition, in 2000 the FDEP estimated the state’s existing 2.7 million acres of
seagrass contributed approximately $124 billion to the commercial and recreational
fisheries industry.
Clearly, without healthy coastal seagrass communities, Florida’s beautiful coastal
marine environment and state economy will be severely affected.
About Seagrass Recovery
Since 1996, Seagrass Recovery has successfully transplanted,
repaired and grown several species of seagrass. The company, located in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida,
has completed more than 50 restoration projects around the world, many in Florida.
Once Seagrass Recovery becomes involved in a project,
measurable results are typically achieved within 12-18 months. This success represents
a paradigm shift in how seagrass restoration is applied and achieved.
Seagrass Recovery’s innovative methods and technologies –
the company holds seven
industry-specific patents – are unique in the industry.
These include techniques that have been scientifically peer-reviewed and approved
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association as well as by the Florida Department
of
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Seagrass Recovery is actively teaming with concerned citizens, organizations,
educational institutions, and corporations across Florida and the nation to protect, restore and expand seagrass habitat.
The company’s mission is to save oceans, estuaries and shorelines for generations
to come. To learn more about Seagrass Recovery and
its solutions, please visit www.seagrassrecovery.com.
For more information about this event or the company, please contact John McNeilly,
Seagrass Recovery’s Director of Corporate Communications, at 727.542.8122.
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