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Jim Anderson Honored with Florida Conservation
Award ‘Don Hensen Conservation Award’ Honors Anderson’s Seagrass
Restoration Work
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida (February 28, 2008) – Greengrass Holdings, LLC, announced
today that Jim Anderson, the company’s Vice President of Research & Development
and the founder of its seagrass recovery technologies, will receive the 2008 “Don
Hensen Conservation Award.”
Currently in its 20th year, the award honors conservation efforts around the state
and is named after the former commissioner of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation
Commission, Don Hensen. Past recipients include Governor Charlie Crist, Captain
Bill Miller of Channel 47’s “Hooked on Fishing,” Tampa Tribune veteran outdoors
writer, Frank Sargeant, and many other Florida notables.
Mr. Henson will present the award to Jim Anderson at the Tribune’s Outdoors Expo
& Boat Show at the Florida State Fairgrounds on 2008.
“We’re proud of and thrilled for Jim for this well-deserved recognition. Jim pioneered
seagrass restoration methods and his innovative techniques have helped repair and
conserve seagrass habitat all over the state and elsewhere. Considering that Florida’s
coastal seagrass habitats are under tremendous environmental pressures, and with
March serving as ‘Seagrass Awareness Month,’ honoring Jim’s past conservation efforts
couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. On behalf of all our employees, we congratulate
Jim for this great honor,” said
Jeff
Beggins, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Greengrass Holdings, LLC, which purchased the assets and technologies of Seagrass
Recovery in July 2008.
About Florida’s Seagrass
Seagrass meadows are the protective and developmental habitat for all manner of marine
life, including manatees, turtles, fish, shellfish, shrimp, sea horses, crabs,
plants and many other species important to the overall
health of underwater ecosystems.
In fact, 70
percent of Florida’s fish and shellfish populations depend upon seagrass
habitat for survival. Without healthy seagrass, these species could not develop,
grow nor thrive. Seagrass also improves water quality, decreases sedimentation,
stabilizes the ocean bottom and prevents erosion.
Simply stated, Florida is seagrass.
However, the state is losing seagrass habitat at an alarming rate. An incredibly
fragile marine ecosystem, seagrass does not always have the capability to self-regenerate.
Once damaged by boat groundings or propellers, by pollution or nutrient run-off,
the damage is permanent and ultimately spreads to surrounding seagrass beds and
meadows unless efforts are made to repair damages.
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 marine environment and state economy
will be adversely impacted.
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 150 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 Jen Morris,
Seagrass Recovery’s Manager of Corporate Commmunications, at 727-596-8020.
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