Eelgrass is a flowering plant that puts down roots in our bay floor. Eelgrass is considered to be a valuable habitat type due to its ability to improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon. Our program has mapped eelgrass for two decades. The three maps above show eelgrass coverage in the estuary in 2007, 2017, and 2021. In response to the decline of eelgrass a dozen years ago, the Estuary Program and its partners conducted restoration efforts to help eelgrass remain viable in the bay. Our 2021 map indicated a full recovery of eelgrass, with 500 acres mapped.