A bill that has been approved by the Alabama Legislature seeks to address the loss of seagrass in the state's coastal waters by creating a new statewide task force focused on restoration and research.

House Bill 38, introduced by Rep. Chip Brown, R-105, of coastal Mobile County, establishes the Alabama Seagrass Restoration Task Force, a group tasked with studying seagrass loss and recommending strategies, consolidated into a 10-year plan, to restore and protect these important underwater habitats.

Brown, who lives on Hollingers Island and whose district consists of the communities of Grand Bay, St. Elmo, Irvington, Theodore, Hollingers Island, Mon Louis Island, Dog River, Fowl River and Coden along with the Town of Dauphin Island and the City of Bayou La Batre, has also introduced other legislation focused on coastal resources. As previously reported by GCM, he wrote the Alabama Seafood Labeling Law in 2024 and has sponsored legislation this session aimed at strengthening enforcement of it and increasing penalties for restaurants that fail to comply.

Scientists say seagrass plays a vital role in Alabama's coastal ecosystems, particularly as a nursery habitat for marine life.

"What seagrasses do is add a third structural dimension to an otherwise featureless substrate," said John Valentine, executive director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, one

of the nine members of the task force and one of two co-chairs alongside the president of the University of South Alabama or his or her designee. DISL is the organizer and fiscal leader of the group.

That structure, he explained, provides protection for young marine animals, such as shrimp, crabs and fish, from predators.

Because of this, seagrass beds support a wide variety of species during their earliest life stages.

"Historically, when you look at the grass beds, that's the most biologically diverse aspect of the estuarine community," Valentine said. "Lots and lots of species are there. Lots and lots of things start their lives there."

However, maintaining healthy seagrass habitats can be difficult. According to Valentine, seagrass growth depends heavily on environmental conditions, especially water clarity.

"Sea grasses require a lot of light to grow themselves," he said. "When it's really turbid and it's muddy, they're not able to grow in a way that they normally would when it's well lit."

Other factors, such as excess nutrients, storms and coastal changes, can also affect seagrass beds, making restoration efforts complex. Valentine said restoring seagrass is possible but requires more research and long-term planning.

"It's a mixed bag of results," he said of restoration efforts. "We don't know how genetically diverse these plants are, and usually the plants that are most genetically diverse have the highest survival."

Jason Kudulis, director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, another task force member, said seagrass is central to the health of the region's fisheries and wildlife.

"Seagrass is kind of like a keystone species," Kudulis said. "That's where you're going to have all your little critters and our recreationally important fish. All of them kind of gravitate toward those seagrass beds."

HB 38 will bring scientists, environmental managers and policymakers together to better understand these ecosystems and coordinate restoration efforts across the state. The other task force members are the chair of the House's Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee; the commissioner of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or his or her designee "who has expertise in seagrass ecosystems"; a member from a private commercial enterprise appointed by the governor; a member from a public or private university in the state other than USA, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; and two members from a non-university public or private marine environmental organization, with one appointed by the speaker of the House and the other appointed by the lieutenant governor.

"You're going to have a lot of diverse and well-educated folks being able to provide input," Kudulis said. "Kind of herding it among this task force is going to add value to the overall understanding."

Even residents who never see seagrass underwater benefit from healthy seagrass beds, he added.

"When you think about our quality of life — whether you're a recreational fisherman, someone that enjoys seafood or someone that likes their water to be clean and healthy — seagrass does all of those things," he said.

The bill was delivered to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk for her signature on Feb. 25 after passing the House 91-0, with nine abstentions, and the Senate 32-0. Within Baldwin County's legislative delegation, nine of the 10 members voted in approval of the bill, with Rep. Matt Simpson, R-96, not present/not voting.

Once signed into law, the task force's initial meeting will be held Jan. 1, 2027, and then at least twice a year.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.