Middle Harbor will become
an ecological reserve of shallow bay and shoreline habitats.
Commercial species, such as Dungeness crab, flatfish, anchovy, herring,
and perch, live and feed in these shallow areas often using them
as nurseries for their young. A smorgasbord of worms, clams, small
shrimp and other creatures burrow, wriggle, crawl and swim on the
bay bottom -- tasty morsels to young fish. These small creatures
feed on a stew of algae and bits of plants in the water and sediment.
Algae grow in great quantities in the sunlit shallows providing
the base for this web of life.
The shallows created in
Middle Harbor will be a calm, clear water area and will be
planted with eelgrass, a marine plant with long, green leaves. Eelgrass
is a productive habitat that supports diverse species. The
sturdy roots of eelgrass shelter a community of worms, crabs, shrimp
and snails. The tangle of leaves stills currents creating a refuge
for small fish, shrimp and microscopic life. Other animals graze
the algae attached to the eelgrass further increasing the richness
of the habitat.
Shallow water habitat is rich with microscopic
plant and animal life, clams, worms, crabs and a diverse assemblage
of fish species. Eelgrass shelters juvenile fish and other animals. |
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