In this Florida Sea Grant project, Florida Institute of Technology will collaborate with Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS), Mote Marine Laboratory, and Florida Sea Grant Office of Martin, and demonstrate the use of biochar to enhance the growth and resilience of shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) within nursery setting and transplantation into Indian River Lagoon (IRL). The team will work closely with four seagrass nurseries (end-users) including FOS, Brevard Zoo, Marine Discovery Center, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute during the project to ensure that the end users influence the way in which biochar is developed into an efficacious product. Commercial biochar will be mixed with control sediments (play sand) and IRL sediments from three locations (Melbourne, Sebastian, and Stuart) at various ratios and a 30-day grow out will be performed using IRL water. Rhizome and biomass growth will be measured after the grow-out phase, and sediment and water quality will be chemically and biologically characterized to further understand the biochar interaction with the sediments. A longer-term demonstration and transplantation to IRL will be performed to evaluate shoal grass growth in biochar-enhanced sediment with the goal to demonstrate nursery production and shoal grass resilience to transplantation stress. Research findings will be shared and discussed with the end users, IRLNEP, and Florida Seagrass Restoration Initiative Technical Advisory Council. Results will also be disseminated to local communities through two workshops. By demonstrating seagrass restoration and engaging end users, this project addresses the Florida Sea Grant Primary Focus Area 1. Healthy Coastal Ecosystem (HCE, Goal 1a).
Dr. Toufiq Reza (PI, FIT); Dr. Ralph Turingan (Co-PI, FIT); Dr. Krista McCoy (Co-PI, FOS); Dr. Vince Lovko (Co-PI, Mote); Dr. Vincent Encomio (Co-PI, UF/IFAS).
