Governor Declares March Florida Seagrass Awareness Month

In recognition of the importance of seagrass habitats to Florida’s environment and economy, Gov. Charlie Crist has proclaimed March to be Florida Seagrass Awareness Month. This is the ninth year of the statewide initiative, which Gov. Crist has called essential to preserving the state’s marine environment, economy and quality of life.

The initiative also showcases Sarasota County’s five-year-old volunteer program to survey seagrass in every bay in Sarasota to better understand local seagrass habitats.

According to Amanda Dominguez of Sarasota County’s Water Resources, nearly all of the commercially and recreationally important estuarine and marine animals depend on seagrass beds as refuge or habitat for some part of their life, making them directly responsible for bringing in millions of dollars annually from out-of-state and resident recreational and commercial fishermen.

“The information that has been generated from the county’s survey...