PALMETTO -- On September 28, 13 marine biology students from Manatee School For the Arts with the assistance of Tampa Bay Watch, transplanted 950 plugs of a common bay area grass known as Spartina alterniflora or salt marsh cordgrass into Terra Ceia Preserve in Palmetto. This particular species serves many functions such as creating critical habitats, nurseries for many organisms, filtration systems, and helps stabilize the sediment in our local bays.
The students have been taking care of these plants in an on campus nursery, monitoring their salinity, ph, and health weekly since they harvested 10,000 plants last October from Port Manatee. This habitat restoration project has increased the student’s awareness about how important it is to conserve and preserve our local bay area, an area that once flourished with life many years ago, and has fallen victim to the development of our shorelines. This project will continue on at MSA for many years to come, and the students here will continue to be stewards of our local bay area.
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