Melissa May and James Douglass lead FGCU’s participation in the Florida Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Consortium Project, which is examining whether restoring clams and seagrass together can improve the health of both. Clams filter water and may recycle nutrients into the sediment where seagrass can use them, while seagrass may hide clams from predators.
The team placed marked clams in existing seagrass beds and bare-bottom areas of nearby Estero Bay to monitor seagrass growth, clam survival, water quality and nutrient levels, and other conditions. “The overall hypothesis … is that the clams will improve conditions that would facilitate seagrass restoration,” says May. Seagrass absorbs excess nutrients in the water and serves as habitat for many species, while clams filter and clean the water.
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