Our speaker 5/23/23 was Robert Vasiluth, founder and CEO of Save Environmental. Eel grass is one of our key habitats here on the south shore. The decrease in eelgrass has been occuring at an exponential rate chiefly due to the increasing presence of nitrogen and rising temperatures in the bay.Robert has developed a unique process to help the successful planting and propogation of eelgrass in our local waters. By glueing eelgrass seed to the outside of a live hardshell clam then reintroducing the clam into the bay, the clam will dig itself back into the bay floor at the perfect depth for the seed to safely germinate and grow. Over time one clam's seed passengers can propogate 150-200 blades of eelgrass.
Robert's message certainly sounds familiar. Eelgrass's demise is a direct result of the overuse of cesspools here on Long Island. This dovetails with the concerns of John Huttie from Suffolk County when he spoke to us about the Wastewater Plan in April.
Robert encouraged us to reach out to him if you are interested in learning more or looking for opportunities to volunteer. His email address is robertvasiluth@outlook.com