PMEP has awarded the Santa Monica Bay Foundation funding to foster the long-term resilience of critical coastal habitat by restoring 1.3 acres of native Zostera pacifica (pacific eelgrass) in a cove on Catalina Island that historically supported a robust seagrass bed. The project will strengthen fish habitat connectivity, improve the success of open-coast eelgrass transplanting efforts, and document the environmental conditions that influence restoration performance. Through field-based restoration, biophysical site characterization, time-lapse camera deployments, seagrass structural health, and fish assemblage monitoring protocols, the project will help advance best practices for open-coast eelgrass recovery while supporting the many species that rely on healthy seagrass habitat. This work contributes to broader regional efforts to restore productive nearshore habitat, scale blue carbon habitat restoration, improve coastal climate resilience, and inform future restoration projects throughout the Southern California Bight.
