LIFT, DRIFT, POLE AND TROLL

Seagrasses are native flowering plants found just offshore in calm shallow saltwater bays. They are made up mostly of shoalgrass, star grass, and turtle grass, among other species, and occur in large areas known as seagrass meadows or beds. To learn more about this topic that doesn’t necessarily relate to owls, visit tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/habitats/seagrass/.

Seagrass beds are like coral reefs in that they provide food and shelter for many other critters, especially nursery habitat for estuarine fisheries and are a major source of organic biomass for coastal food webs. Plus they’re effective agents for stabilizing coastal erosion and sedimentation and are critical for nutrient cycling and water quality.

Since 2013, it is illegal to cause any rooted seagrass plant to be uprooted or dug out from the bay or saltwater bottom by a submerged propeller within the coastal waters of the state of Texas. This Class C Misdemeanor fine can be up to $500. To avoid causing damage to seagrasses, remember the jingle: Lift, Drift, Pole and Troll. This means lift your boat motor, drift over the seagrass beds, pole through the shallow water, and troll with your trolling motor. Texas has lost well over half of its seagrass meadows so let’s do our part in protecting them because they’re necessary for fish, birds, and other marine life. Do it for the owls!

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