Common Eelgrass, Zostera marina

Rachels SNH study...

 

Common eelgrass, (Zostera marina) is a species of seagrass with leaves that are said to look like green eels when they move with the current of the sea. It is the subject of a survey being carried out this year by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to find out where it occurs around the north coast.

 

Common eelgrass likes a sheltered sand or mud substrate to grow in and does not like to grow deeper than 10m. There are three different species of eelgrass in the UK and all are considered scarce. It is an important species for the biodiversity of Scotland's marine environment by providing shelter for flatfish and, in some areas, for cephalopods such as squid and octopus.

Any divers, inshore fishermen and local people from West Sutherland and North West Ross are being asked to report sightings of this rare underwater plant.

Club secretary Rachel Horsburgh, is an area officer for SNH in the north west and is leading the mapping project for the eelgrass. Divers and fishermen could hold the key to recording the plant's distribution because in the North Highlands we have important and extensive beds of dwarf and narrow leaved eelgrass especially in the Dornoch Firth. However, common eelgrass, the completely sub tidal species is under recorded in North Highland, with only two confirmed beds in North West Ross. It is thought likely that there is more of it around that originally thought. Divers, fishermen and local people could be instrumental in helping to fill in the knowledge gaps we have of this species' distribution in the north.

Small eelgrass beds of approximate size 0.5ha and 0.03ha are known to occur in Enard Bay, in North West Ross. These are the only two common eelgrass sites in the North Highland area that have been recorded by the Marine Nature Conservation Review. A further site was noted in 2001 in Port Dhrombaig, Edrachillis Bay, West Sutherland, by a local biological recorder. Wash ups of the species have also been recorded on beaches at Clashnessie, Achmelvich, Clachtoll, Culkein Stoer and Balcladich Bay, West Sutherland.

Rachel is leading survey work being done by SNH to find more of these hidden beds, to help find out more about this important and fragile habitat. Using underwater cameras, the aim is to map the full distribution and extent of common eelgrass beds in West Sutherland and North West Ross.

If anyone is aware of, or you find any sub tidal eelgrass beds while out diving anywhere in the wider area of coast between Gruinard Bay on the west around the north to the Dornoch Firth in the east please contact Rachel at SNH Ullapool on 01854 613418 or email her