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Report on benthic survey/sampling at Coquille Estuary, OR: June 30-July 3, 2008
Citation:
YOUNG, D. R. AND C. FOLGER. Report on benthic survey/sampling at Coquille Estuary, OR: June 30-July 3, 2008. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/C-09/005, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Zostera japonica is a non-native seagrass first reported in the PNW in Willapa Bay in 1957 (Harrison and Bigley 1982).
Description:
Zostera japonica is a non-native seagrass first reported in the PNW in Willapa Bay in 1957 (Harrison and Bigley 1982). Since the, Z. japonica has been reported from 16 estuaries in the PNW (Lee and Reusser 2007), including the Yaquina Estuary in 1974-1975 (Bayer 1996). Besides invading numerous estuaries, the areal extent of Z. japonica has been increasing. Observations in the Yaquina Estuary at several locations indicate a dramatic increase in the size of several beds. In the probabilistic survey of seven Oregon estuaries, Z. japonica was present in six estuaries and had a greater intertidal areal extent than Z. marina in four of these (Lee et al. 2006a). Wonham (2003) reviewed the effects of Z. japonica and concluded that it could have positive and detrimental effects on several ecosystem services, including birds and Dungeness crabs.