Seagrasses play a vital role to our Florida aquatic systems. Not only do they provide habitat and food to a plentitude of marine species but they also help ensure our waters remain clear by capturing and filtering out tiny sediments found in the water. Because of both the ecological and economical role that seagrasses play in our ecosystems, regulations are set in place by regulatory agencies such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Army Corps of Engineers in order to ensure that they stay protected for now and for future generations. Regulations come in the form of specialized criteria for construction being completed in these areas, and also for the boating community to ensure that extra precaution is taken in these areas. If you’re a marine contractor in the industry and you have completed a project in an area that is surrounded by seagrasses then you’re likely familiar with the extent to which seagrasses are protected and how strict regulatory agencies can be  when a project is being completed in an area that seagrasses are found.. Throughout this article we will discuss both the economical and ecological role that seagrasses play along with some examples of guidelines enforced by regulatory agencies to make sure seagrasses stay protected. 

ECONOMICAL ROLL OF SEAGRASSES IN FLORIDA 

Sea grasses are important to the Florida economy because of the habitat, nursery grounds, and food source that they provide to economically important species along our coastlines. There are a plentitude of species that rely on seagrasses which some of these including: 

• West Indian Manatee 
• Spotted Sea Trout 
• Common Snook 
• Pink Shrimp 
• Striped Hermit Crab 
• Parrot Fish
• Green Turtle 

Not only do protected species such as manatees rely on seagrasses as a major food source, but “Seagrasses are typically considered a nursery habitat that provides structure for various life stages of commercially and economically important fish (such as drums and trout), crustaceans (stone crabs, shrimp, etc.), and shellfish (scallops, etc.) species” as stated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision. Our Florida coastlines are blessed with an abundance of marine wildlife that attracts hundred of thousands of tourist yearly and the FDEP directly states in their ERP Online Help Resource that “In 2006 alone, seagrass communities in Florida supported an estimated harvest of $71.4 million for stone crab, spiny lobster, yellowtail snapper, gray snapper, shrimp and blue crab.” With that statistic alone it is evident that seagrasses are vital to our economy and we can begin to understand why they are so protected by regulatory agencies throughout the state of Florida. In an effort to highlight this economic importance and showcase why their protection is vital, the FDEP estimates that each acre of seagrass has an economic value of $20,500 per year. With Florida being home to an estimated 502,000 acres of seagrass, we can estimate that seagrasses along our Florida coastlines hold an economic value of $1,029,000,000. 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF SEAGRASSES

Although the economic role seagrasses play along our coastlines might seem like the primary driving factor to their protection by regulatory agencies, their ecological role throughout the state of Florida is also important to understand. The ecological role seagrasses play along our coastlines is highlighted with their importance as a food source, habitat, and the part they play in maintaining water quality. In an effort to showcase this, the FDEP states in their Management and Protection of Seagrasses article that “Seagrasses improve water clarity by stabilizing bottom sediments and absorbing nutrients from the water column. They reduce coastal erosion by helping to diffuse wave energy during storm events.” Every year tourists come from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful and clear water that we are blessed to have here in Florida and the protection of seagrasses is an important aspect to ensuring that our waters remain clear. Not only do they play a vital role in minimizing erosion and filtering out tiny sediments to ensure our water remains clear, but they’re also an important food source and habitat for a plentitude of species. 

WAYS TO PROTECT SEAGRASSES 

After reading this article you should begin to see why the protection of seagrasses is extremely important throughout the State of Florida. Because of this, regulatory agencies such as the FDEP and the USACOE have guidelines set in place for construction being done in any site where seagrasses are present. The FDEP directly showcases different ways to protect seagrasses in their ERP Online Help Resource by recommending the following: 

1. Build your dock, pier, marine or other structure away from seagrasses whenever possible. 
2. If a structure is proposed over seagrasses, include seagrass protection in the design.
   • Build your structure with material that allows light to penetrate (such as grating). 
   • Build a small structure instead of a larger one to prevent shading out seagrasses and do not include roofs, walls or other structures that block sunlight. 
   • Design your dock so that mooring areas and navigational access routes are in water deep enough to leave at least 1 foot between the top of vegetation and the bottom of your boat. 

The United States Army Corps of Engineers also showcases their criteria in their Dock Construction Guideline for Single Family Docks Article published in 2001, with some of their criteria for docks being constructed over submerged aquatic vegetation including the following: 

• The pier/dock should be aligned to minimize the size of the footprint over SAV beds. 
• The height of the pier/dock shall be a minimum of 5 feet above MHW/OHW as measured from the top surface of the decking.
• If possible, terminal platforms must be placed in deep water, water ward of SAV beds or in an area devoid of SAV beds. 
• The width of the pier/dock is limited to a maximum of 4 feet. 
• The gaps between deck boards must be a minimum of ½ inch. 
• The spacing of pilings through SAV beds shall be a minimum of 10 feet on center. 
• Pilings must be installed in a manner which will not result in the formation of sedimentary deposits around the newly installed pilings. Pile driving is the preferred method of installation, but jetting with a low pressure pump may be used.