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Key Largo, Florida
Funded in FY2023 through the NOAA Increasing Recreational Fisheries Engagement Program
Seagrasses are among the most productive and valuable coastal habitats in the world, providing essential fish nursery areas, improving water quality, and stabilizing sediments. In the Florida Keys, however, propeller scarring and vessel groundings have severely damaged these vital ecosystems – nearly doubling the extent of impacted seagrass over two decades. To help reverse this trend, Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida) and Sea & Shoreline, LLC partnered to restore up to 5,000 square feet of scarred seagrass within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
The project rebuilt natural seafloor contours using biodegradable sediment tubes filled with sand and nutrients that promoted seagrass regrowth. By stabilizing sediments and reducing turbidity, this technique supported the recolonization of seagrass and expanded nursery habitat for important fish species such as snapper, grouper, and pipefish. Over one year of installation and three years of monitoring, the restoration improved fish habitat, enhanced water quality, increased invertebrate biomass, and boosted carbon storage.
Community engagement played a key role in the effort. Local fishing captains and students helped install materials and learned firsthand about the ecological importance of seagrass, strengthening stewardship within the region. The project advanced Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) goals in South Florida and was successfully coordinated with regional partners throughout planning, implementation, and monitoring.