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From Concern to Action: A Long-Term Monitoring Plan for Seagrass in Tillamook Bay
As part of our broader Monitoring Strategy, TEP launched a long-term eelgrass monitoring program in Tillamook Bay in response to growing community concern and the potential for a widespread seagrass die-off. This multi-year study is focused on collecting high-quality, unbiased data to build a reliable baseline of seagrass coverage.
Establishing this baseline takes time, but it is essential for helping decision-makers assess potential impacts on the bay’s ecosystem. As a nonregulatory partner in Tillamook County, TEP’s role is to provide sound, objective science that supports informed decisions and addresses the concerns of our community.
- Seagrasses are the only fully submerged marine plants.
- They create their own habitat as a foundational species. This means that their presence is relied upon by wildlife.
- The habitat they create is important nursery habitat for juvenile stages of critical species like salmon (coho), Dungeness crab, and pacific herring.
- It is an important food source for the black brant, a sensitive migratory bird species listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).
- Its natural lifecycle involves consistently shedding leaves with faster growth in the spring and summer.
- Tillamook Bay’s seagrass beds are primarily one species, Eelgrass (Zostera marina).
- This can make them more vulnerable because a single species can be susceptible to the same stressors. For example, if the water is really warm for a few days, there isn’t another species that is more resilient to warm water.
- Tillamook Bay has one of the largest populations of seagrass on the Oregon Coast because it is a large shallow bay.
- It creates habitat for the food sources of other birds, making Tillamook Bay a critical stop along the Pacific Flyway.
If you have more questions or concerns please reach out to info@tbnep.org.