Three Steps Forward, South Bay, Virginia (#110)

After three hours of harvesting, I discover the best approach to collecting eelgrass seeds is to simply let go, allowing the current to take me. I’m in a wetsuit for the first time in my life off the coast of Virginia in South Bay. In the bed of the bay is a vast underwater meadow of eelgrass – a once nearly extinct species making a world-renowned comeback with the help of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and volunteers like me today eager to hunt for seeds. About one in twenty shoots of eelgrass hold seeds, and those shoots are the prizes us volunteers are searching for. Most of the eelgrass blades are long and flat, like linguini. The seeded shoots, though, are rounded, like spaghetti. Our task is to find the spaghetti among the linguini, then pluck and place them in a mesh bag strapped over our shoulders. Those shoots will be brought ashore and placed in holding tanks in Oyster, Virginia. There are different techniques for harvesting the seeded s...