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The Ocean Foundation and Seagrass Recovery Come
Together to Repair Seagrass Scars Along America’s Coasts
Unique partnership restores damaged marine vegetation
beds while combating global climate change
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, FLORIDA—The Ocean Foundation and Seagrass Recovery
today announced
the launch of the Restore-A-Scar program aimed at restoring seagrass scars found
off the coasts of Florida, New York, California and Washington. Seagrass meadows
sustain the most damage from boat propellers, anchors and vessel groundings that
rip seagrass from the sea floor and leave scars that are vulnerable to further erosion
and, left unchecked, can eventually destroy the whole seagrass bed. It is estimated
that 70 percent of all marine life in the ocean is directly dependent upon seagrass.
“We are honored to be selected by The Ocean Foundation as the service provider
for the restoration of damaged seagrass meadows as part of this vital project—the
first if its kind,” said Jeff
Beggins, president and CEO of Seagrass Recovery. “Not
only are seagrass meadows
critically important to marine life and the overall
health of our nation’s coastlines, but play an important role in the battle against climate
change.
We are excited about giving Americans around the country the opportunity
to help maintain and preserve this important part of our natural environment.”
The Restore-A-Scar program,
www.RestoreAScar.org, uses individual and corporate
donations to proactively restore sections of damaged seagrass beds. Donations made
to the program are used to restore sections of propeller scars and boat groundings
found in seagrass beds with donations being made in increments of $10, providing
restoration at $10 per square foot. “
The Ocean Foundation is pleased to work alongside Seagrass Recovery as we repair
seagrass beds so that marine life is able to continue to thrive and prosper,” said
Mark Spalding, president of The Ocean Foundation. “Because of the Ocean Foundation’s
commitment to the world’s oceans, we felt especially drawn to this project and we
are excited about all that will be
achieved through the generous donations of corporations and individuals. It is our philosophy that only by working together can we improve
the bodies of water worldwide for generations to come.”
To restore the seagrass scars, a highly successful and proprietary technology of Seagrass Recovery consisting of biodegradable sediment tubes will be placed inside
the seagrass scar to halt expansion of the damage and allow seagrass to re-colonize
in an estimated 18-24 months. It is important to note that one acre of seagrass
typically sequesters over 7.84 metric tons of carbon per year, which equals the
carbon dioxide emissions from an automobile traveling over 3,500 miles.
Because 90 percent of the world’s sequestered carbon is found in the ocean, and
seagrass makes up 15 percent of the carbon found in the ocean, seagrass is a highly
effective means for carbon sequestration that has relatively short growing timeframes.
In addition to its carbon sequestration benefits, seagrass is a primary food source
for many endangered species such as green sea turtles, manatees and dugongs. Seagrass
also provides habitat for thousands of marine organisms including seahorses, scallops,
crabs and many recreationally and commercially fished species. For more information
on how to donate to the Restore-A-Scar program, please visit
www.RestoreAScar.org.
ABOUT THE OCEAN FOUNDATION
The Ocean Foundation is a community foundation with a specialized practice of
providing high-end philanthropic advice for a community of donors who care about
the coast and oceans. Their mission is to support, strengthen and promote those
organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments
around the world. Their goal is to grow financial resources available to support
marine conservation. They are a non-profit, international public foundation. For
more information regarding The Ocean Foundation, please visit
www.oceanfdn.org.
ABOUT
SEAGRASS RECOVERY
Seagrass Recovery, based out of Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, is a company dedicated
to preserving all types of seagrass. They have a wide variety of patented inventions
and services that provide a rapid cost-efficient means for replanting and restoring
damaged areas. For more information regarding Seagrass Recovery, please visit
www.seagrassrecovery.com.
For more information about this event or the company, please contact Vivian Myrtetus,
Seagrass Recovery’s Director of Corporate Communications, at 850-508-2654.
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