Over half a million acres of seagrass habitat are found in Florida, creating some of the largest underwater meadows in the world.   March is designated state-wide as seagrass awareness month, and there is no better time to ensure seagrasses in our state receive better protection from impacts such as boat propeller scarring and dredge-and-fill activities.  While some federal protections in National Marine Sanctuaries exist, Florida’s seagrasses are largely left unprotected in state waters under current law.  Last year, legislation creating penalties for seagrass scarring in aquatic preserves passed both houses, but drew a veto due to troublesome mitigation banking language it was saddled with. Audubon and other groups have been eager for a repeat of this bill, minus the banking language, to finally confer some modest, albeit long-needed, protections for this essential public trust resource. The language has been filed in SB 2536 by Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs), the chair of the Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, as part of a larger Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agency bill.

Improved protection is necessary if seagrass communities are to retain their ecological health and thus continue to contribute to ensuring Florida’s economic future by keeping our waters clear and providing shelter for numerous economically important species, such as spiny lobsters and stone crabs.  As the Florida Legislature considers SB 2536 to better protect this state resource, counties can show their support, too. This week the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners emphasized the importance of their seagrass resources by proclaiming March 2009 as Seagrass Awareness Month for many reasons, among them the $2.8 million dollars of revenue generated in the county by the commercial harvest of species dependent upon seagrass habitat.