Congratulations Nick Anderson @MrEelgrass on your successful MS thesis defense on eelgrass monitoring!!!
@UNH_GradSchool @NHEPSCoR @COLSA_UNH @NHSeaGrant @PREPCommunity

Eelgrass provides essential forage and habitat for fish and other coastal marine species, nutrient and sediment capture which improves water quality, carbon storage, and dampens wave energy which reduces erosion. Changes in its health can predict other coastal ecosystem changes.

Eelgrass is declining throughout coastal systems in the northern hemisphere, where monitoring can be a challenge due to cold waters and storms and require specialized training, like SCUBA. New monitoring methods are needed, like underwater video-monitoring! @PREPCommunity

Key finding 1: Video-monitoring is a reliable alternative to conventional monitoring methods

An Eelgrass Health Index measures eelgrass status. Key finding 2: Ratings from the new EHI are consistent with accepted metrics and can be used across North America. Validation used biomass #SeagrassNet + a new eelgrass health survey https://bit.ly/3117Crw  #CommunityKnowledge