ORANGE BEACH — Transplants for seagrass found off the shores of Robinson and Walker Island started in Perdido Bay on July 12 to expand and restore parts of the islands that have suffered from erosion and habitat loss due to human activity and natural forces.

The seagrass transplanting for these islands is just one part of a larger restoration plan laid out by The Nature Conservancy, which will work with many waterways within the Perdido Bay Watershed that covers Baldwin and Escambia County. The seagrass  project is focused on expanding and potentially connecting the Lower Perdido Islands (Bird, Robinson and Walker).

The Nature Conservancy's website states that the islands have been known to "host well over 500 boats" at one time and are receiving increasing popularity. This restoration project is expected to improve the islands for the people that visit and also the plants and animals that live and raise their young in the waters or on the shore.

Dottie Byron, program manager with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) and one of the scientists who went out in the field for the seagrass transplant, discussed the work that was being done on the islands while specifically focusing on the efforts of the DISL.

"One of the biggest parts of this project was to make these islands resilient to storms and human activity," Byron said. "The cool thing about this project is that this is the first time we've ever done something this massive."

The seagrass transplant worked with patches of seagrass in a method known as the "sod method" because it is similar to how sod is laid in a yard. This sod method also provides "a buffet" for the local sea creatures such as pin fish or sting rays as the patches are filled with small marine bugs that serve as snacks for the sea creatures.

According to Byron the seagrass, also known as shoal grass, also serves as a nursery habitat for juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs. Since the islands are found in a bay and not the open ocean the waves are not as intense and more structure can be found among the living shorelines. The animals and organisms "are no longer exposed" to potential dangers and they have a larger food supply in the seagrass beds.

Damage to seagrass beds has occurred through the years from boat motors being used in the shallow section surrounding the islands. These "boat scars" cause a change in the flow of the water and decrease seagrass habitat, which leads to a decrease in local animal populations.

Byron advises to "trim your motor up" when passing over seagrass areas. These areas are indicated by signs around the islands, also set up from a project Byron worked on in the past.

"You protect what you love. Put a mask on and snorkel over these areas," Byron said as advice to anyone who finds themselves over a seagrass bed. "Just look at the amount of life, look at the amount of fish."

Byron said that the team will be regularly checking in on the patches that they have transplanted with a one month check, three month check, six month check, one year check and then an annual check for two more years to ensure that the seagrass is growing as it should and positively affecting the environment.

"It's hard work (to transplant seagrass) and there's so many factors that can go wrong," Byron said. "We can't control everything."

One of the uncontrollable things that could harm the seagrass growth is a hurricane or bad storm. Byron said that seagrasses are naturally resistant to most of the wave surges caused by hurricanes. However, if the plants are caught in an area where a lot of sediment has been dumped from the storm, the plants could get buried and lose access to the sun and "like a land plant, they're going to die."

Byron said that her personal philosophy on the island restoration is that humans should share the newly created spaces with the animals present.
"We're all here together and I think there's space for everyone in nature if we just take a minute and see how can we work with each other instead of against each other."