Zach Nixon

Factors that influence the growth of

eelgrass in the Mullica River

Coastal Oceanography
Factors that influence the growth of eelgrass in the Mullica River

Zostera Marina or more commonly known as eelgrass is a common seagrass that is found all

over the east coast and other parts all over the world. It is a very important seagrass plant

because it is used as a natural filtration device for the water and it acts as a food source and a

habitat for many marine animals. In some areas like the Mullica River there are little to no

eelgrass present. This plant can be found fully submerged in the water to it is growth is

completely dependent on the nutrients in the water. Many factors that influence the health of

eelgrass are temperature, salinity, oxygen levels and pH. These factors will be observed at the

Mullica River for a year span from January 2016 to January 2017 so that these factors can be

seen as the seasons change. The levels observed at the Mullica River suggest why there is not

any eelgrass present. Some of these conditions are not ideal for the health of eelgrass which can

explain why they are not growing in the river. Also the speed of the river can also explain why

there is not eelgrass growing in the area. Any of these factors can contribute to the distribution of

seagrasses but more specifically Zostera Marina.

Introduction:

The ocean is responsible for transporting anything from trash thrown into it to sediment

that eroded away. But the most important thing that the ocean transfers is nutrients. The nutrients

that the ocean has can affect the health of marine plants more specifically Zostera Marina (Iñigo

2016). Z. Marina is a seagrass plant and can be found all over the world. This plant is influenced

by the tides more than other marine plants because this plant is fully submerged under the water.

Z. Marina must deal with the changes in the water such as changes in salinity, changes in

temperature, changes in turbidly and changes in oxygen levels (Iñigo 2016). Also the plant must

deal with the strength of the tides as well because the stronger the current and wave action, the

more nutrients that can come in contact with the plant. Not only do the tides bring in nutrients

but it also brings in competition (Prater 2017). Competition with other seagrass can pose a threat

for eelgrass. When there is a rival seagrass that can take up space so the eelgrass cannot grow in

that area. When looking at the different water quality needed for the health of Z. Marina you

must take into consideration what the plant needs to survive. Such water quality parameters such

as salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and pH are all important when looking at the health of the

seagrass (Prater 2017).

Zostera Marina or more commonly known as eelgrass is a seagrass found in fully

submerged water in both fresh and salt water (Eriander 2017). The plant typically has a greenish

color and has one long strand which resembles a grass blade. The plant has both a root structure

and leaves. Both are used for different reasons. The blades of the plant can grow up to 3 feet tall

which can become helpful in areas where the water level is high (Eriander 2017). The

belowground biomass of the plant can be large so that the plant can collect nutrients from the

ground. The blades of the plant are used for photosynthesis intake and the roots are mainly used
for nutrients abortion. The plant also has their rhizomes located in the roots so the nutrient

storage can be located in the roots (Eriander 2017). The plant can also become an important

factor for the environment and aid the creatures around them.

Eelgrass is very important for the health of an ecosystem. The plant can act as a filtration

method for the water. The plants leaves act like brushes that can trap and debris that will travel

down the water column. Also it can filter the nutrients that are traveling down the water column

as well (Kennish 2012). Another importance that eelgrass has is that it acts as a food source for

many marine animals. Many fish and other invertebrates feed on the plant and other marine

plants. Along with that eelgrass can also be a safe habitat for many marine invertebrates, fishes

and bivalves (Kennish 2012). The grass acts like a safe hide out for little fish that are hiding from

their larger predators. It can also be a safe place from the environment protecting the creatures

from the incoming currents and other weather conditions.

Methods:

The purpose of this research was to compare two different sites, one where Zostera

Marina is found (Great Bay) and where it is not found (Chestnut Neck) and to compare the water

quality found at each station and to see if that can be a factor for why Z. Marina does not grow in

the Mullica River. The first station is located in the Great Bay NJ. This area is located close to

the ocean and is influenced by the ocean waters. The second station is located further in land in

the Mullica River and that is where Z. Marina is not found. The second station has a more

freshwater influence and is affected by the tides more than the first station located on the Great

Bay. I wanted to research mainly on why there isn’t Z. Marina found in the Mullica River and if

water quality is a factor for that.

 The process I went through to obtain the data needed for the research was that I looked at

data over a year from 2016-2017. I wanted to look at a year’s worth of data because I wanted to

see how the water quality changed as the year went on. The factors that I measured were pH,

dissolved oxygen, salinity and turbidity. I wanted to measure pH because pH affects a plants

health (Li 2017). Salinity and dissolved oxygen has to deal with the nutrients that the plant takes

up. Turbidity has to deal with the visibility of the water so the more turbid the water is then the

harder it becomes for the plant to absorb light (Li 2017). These factors are important to

determine if the water quality is a factor that affects the growth of eelgrass.

Results:

Figure 1.1: Shows the relationship between dissolved oxygen in both the Great Bay and Chestnut

Neck over a year.

 Dissolved oxygen is very important for the health of a seagrass because the plant needs

the oxygen in order to go through respiration and photosynthesis. As you can see in figure 1.1

you can see that in both the Great Bay and Chestnut Neck has a dissolved oxygen level between

80 and 100 percent. However, if you notice in Chestnut Neck in figure 1.1 there is a drop off in

dissolved oxygen during the summer months. One theory for the decrease is that plants grow

during the summer months and require oxygen to grow. That would mean that there is oxygen

being absorbed and not much in the water. Even after the looking at the decrease in the summer

months at Chestnut Neck, you can see that overall Great bay has a higher percentage of dissolved

oxygen compared to Chestnut Neck.

 Figure 1.2: Shows the pH of the from both stations over a year span

When looking at water quality you must look at the pH of the water. PH is very important

because if the water’s pH is too high or too low then the water will not be livable for the plant to

survive. When looking at figure 1.2 you can see the pH levels from the Great Bay station where

there is seagrass found and from the Chestnut Neck station where there is no seagrass found. As

you can see from figure 1.2 the pH from the Great Bay is higher than the pH from Chestnut

Neck. However there seems to be a lot of fluctuation in the Chestnut Neck station but it always

stays between the range of 7 and 8. One explanation for the fluctuation could be that since the

Chestnut Neck station is located up the Mullica River there could be a great freshwater influence

that could alter the pH levels.

 Figure 1.3: Shows the relationship of turbidity over a year at both the Great Bay and Chestnut

Neck.

Turbidity is very important factor to consider when looking at the health of any marine

plant. Turbidity measures the clarity of the water so the higher the levels then the less clear and

cloudy the water is (Li 2017). This can pose a problem for the plant because the higher the

turbidity levels are then the cloudier it is which makes light absorption harder to do. When

looking at figure 1.3 you can see that the turbidity levels at Great Bay ae much lower than the

levels at Chestnut Neck. There are some spikes in turbidity at the Great Bay station but I believe

that it is because there must have been some storms or other sever weather conditions that would

cause the water to mix and become cloudy. One reason that the turbidity is so high at Chestnut

Neck is because of the freshwater influence. Since the station is located in the Mullica River

there is a big freshwater influence which could explain why there is high turbidity.
 Figure 1.4: Relationship between salinity at Chestnut Neck and Great Bay over a year

Marine plants need salinity to grow and survive. When looking at salinity you have to

look at the location of the stations. The Great Bay station is located closer to the ocean so it will

have a high salinity compared to the Chestnut Neck station. Figure 1.4 shows the relationship

that salinity has at both stations. When looking at both stations you can see that the salinity is

much higher at Great Bay than at Chestnut Neck. As you can see from the Chestnut Neck station

on figure 1.4 there is a lot of fluctuation of the salinity as the year goes on. One reason for the

fluctuation is because the station is located where there is a strong freshwater influence and when

the tides change there can be a massive amount of fresh water flowing through the station. Great

Bay has a steady salinity because it is located by the ocean and does not have a strong freshwater

influence.

Discussion:

When looking at the factors needed to support eelgrass the four main water qualities

which would be salinity, oxygen levels, pH and turbidity. When looking at figure 1.1 the

dissolved oxygen at Chestnut Neck has a dip during the summer months. Figure 1.2 shows

fluctuation at the Chestnut Neck station for pH. The turbidity levels were much larger at the

Chestnut Neck station in figure 1.3. Finally when looking at the salinity levels on figure 1.4,

Chestnut Neck as the most fluctuation with the influence of freshwater than compared to the

Great Bay station. By looking at the data you can see that in all four figures Chestnut Neck has

the most change throughout the years. This inconsistency can explain why there is no eelgrass

growth in the Mullica River. The sudden lows and highs of the factors can make the water
unsuitable for eelgrass to grow. In the Great Bay the conditions are more favorable for eelgrass

growth due to the consistency of the water quality throughout the year.

Even though these factors could be a reason for why eelgrass does not grow in the

Mullica River there can still be other factors. Some of those factors can include the influence of

humans. Another factor can be the seed dispersal of the plant and a third could be the

competition for space between eelgrass and other plants. Some of these human influences can be

from boat traffic and dredging affect. The boat traffic can cause the current to increase and make

the plant stressed. Dredging is used to dig the sediment to make the water column deeper.

Dredging can also be a problem for the plant because it is digging up the sediment where the

plant will grow (Kennish 2012). Seed dispersal can also be a factor. The current that flows

through the Mullica River could not be strong enough to carry the seeds of eelgrass that are

located in the Great Bay (Eriander 2017). That could explain why eelgrass does not grow is

because the seeds do not reach the river. Another factor could be competition with other plants.

In order for eelgrass to grow it needs space for the seeds to grow. If there is no space for the

grass to grow due to the presence of other seagrass, bivalves or other marine organisms than the

grass cannot grow (Kennish 2012). These factors could all be responsible for the lack of growth

of eelgrass in the Mullica River as well as the water quality.

Conclusion:

When considering the health and grow of eelgrass there are some factors you must

consider. Water quality is a major factor that can influence the health of eelgrass. In the Mullica

River the water quality is too inconsistent for the grass to grow. This inconsistently along with

the influence of the freshwater can explain why eelgrass cannot grow in the Mullica River. Other
factors can be influencing the growth as well such as competition, seed dispersal pattern and the

impact of humans. In conclusion water quality could be a factor for why Zostera Marina does not

grow in the Mullica River but I do believe there may be other factors influencing the grow of the

seagrass as well.
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