A Collective Effort to Help Eelgrass Adapt to Climate Change
Provided by: The Nature Conservancy|Published on: January 29, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: The Nature Conservancy
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article and video discuss current research studying the resiliency of different eelgrass populations in a changing climate in hopes of restoring eelgrass populations along the coast of Long Island.
- Students will learn about this effective carbon sink, which provides an essential habitat for marine species and many ecosystem services, and how human impacts threaten it.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article includes examples of similar research related to assisted migration and geographic variation in species, providing excellent options for further study.
- The video describes the issues facing eelgrass succinctly and shows the duties of a marine science researcher.
- Since eelgrass is an important carbon sink, this could lead to a conversation about prioritizing ecosystems for protection and restoration in a rapidly changing climate.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with basic ecological terms and concepts such as species range, migration, tolerance, growing conditions, genetic diversity, carbon sinks, and different geographic populations of species.
Differentiation
- Have students watch the video in pairs before reading the article, and have them write down and discuss two things they would like to learn more about.
- Consider reading the article as a class with a map of Long Island pulled up on the board and stop after every few paragraphs to discuss.
- Ask students if they think common gardens are an effective solution for finding heat-tolerant eelgrass variants and if researchers could use citizen scientists to help with eelgrass restoration.
This resource from The Nature Conservancy highlights work to restore eelgrass, a foundational species, along the coast of Long Island, New York. The resource expresses that eelgrass is at risk from climate change and is, at the same time, a powerful carbon sink that is a vital part of mitigating climate change. This resource is exceptionally well-sourced, with links to the project report and peer-reviewed articles. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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