Transplantation Techniques

I will be transplanting seagrass in 8 sandy areas that are free of leather mudweed in Maunalua Bay.  Each of these areas will be considered an experimental "block".  Each block will measure 3.5 m x 2.5 m (or, 11.5 ft x 8 ft) and will contain 6 different transplantation treatments.

                           6 transplantation treatments (shown in blue) will be arranged in each of the 8 experimental blocks.

The treatments are designed to test the effect of adding increasing levels of protection on the survival and growth rates of the transplanted seagrass.

Conceptual illustration of the 6 transplantation treatments

*  In Treatment 1, the seagrass will be surrounded by a low cage secured over the plot. These cages are expected to both exclude larger herbivores and limit bioturbation (mixing of sand by animals) by excluding fish that forage for food near seagrass.  Also, the sediment around the transplants will be stabilized by plastic mesh.  This is to prevent sediment from leaving the plot and to prevent the new transplants from getting buried by shifting sand.
                                                      

                                                        
                             Photo of Treatment #1, consisting of both a mesh cage and mesh attached to the seafloor

*  In Treatment 2, the seagrass will be caged but NO plastic mesh will be added for stabilization.

                                     
                                  Photo of Treatment #2, consisting of only a protective cage


* Treatment 3 will be a cage control for light.  This treatment will demonstrate whether or not the mesh cages harm the seagrass by reducing the amount of light available to perform photosynthesis.

             Photo of Treatment #3, consisting of a cage top with no sides.  This device will not      protect the seagrass from herbivores or fishes foraging in the sand, but it can block light in a manner similar to complete cages.

* In Treatment 4, only mesh will be added to the seafloor to stabilize the sediments.

                                              

Photo of Treatment #4, consisting only of mesh attached to the seafloor

* In Treatment 5, neither mesh nor caging will be added to protect the transplanted seagrass.

 * Treatment 6 will be a bare sediment control plot.  No seagrass will be transplanted in this area,   allowing it to serve as a reference and show what will colonize in the absence of seagrass.