RESULTS AND DISCUSSION                 Time zero monitoring was conducted on 2 May 2005 and Braun-Blanquet (Braun-Blanquet 1932) scores were recorded at each injury site using a one meter squared quadrat. Seagrass, macroalgal coverage, and coral coverage were recorded as follows:

For sites where topographic restoration was necessary, only control measurements were recorded in the adjacent seagrass flat. For sites without topographic restoration, measurements were recorded both inside (berm, scar) of the injury as well as in the adjacent seagrass flat (control). All quadrat measurements were randomly selected to ensure representative coverage of the vegetative components within the injury features and in the control. No control measurements were recorded at the stake arrays due to their location adjacent to deep channels or their proximity to other restoration sites.

From this data, seagrass density was calculated and converted into percent vegetative coverage. The overall restoration goal for damaged areas and scars is 50% vegetative cover by Year 3. For comparison purposes, the percent vegetative coverage for the six background sites ranged from 0.00% - 57.50%, with an average of 8.54%.

The Year 1 monitoring was conducted on 1 May 2006. Braun-Blanquet scores were recorded at each injury site using the same methodology as the time zero monitoring. From this data density was calculated and converted into percent vegetative coverage. Table 1 illustrates the comparison of the percent coverage at the six sites between the Time Zero monitoring and the Year 1 monitoring.

Percent coverage of Halodule increased at each site within the restoration area except for the “T-Array” which experienced no change. At the “Curved Scar,” most of the original planting units of Halodule were no longer

present, although there was an increase of 1.00% in percent vegetative cover of Halodule. Numerous holes were observed in the fill material created by infaunal organisms including fish and crabs. Several blennies (Parablennius marmoreus) were observed in the vicinity of the holes during the monitoring. As a result, bioturbation is suspected to be the main cause of the loss of the Halodule planting units at this site. Observations of bioturbation by rays (Dasyatis and Rhinoptera spp.) on planting unit loss was documented by Durako et al. (1997), and grazing by sea urchins (Lytechinus variegates) was documented in healthy seagrass beds by Peterson et al. (2002).

Percent coverage of Halodule increased at the “Stake Array” by 1.00%, at the “Power Cat” by 3.12%, at “Robbie’s Flat” by 5.75%, and at the “Princess Jullin” site by 11.87%. At the “Princess Jullin” site Halodule was present where planting units were installed, but recruitment from the surrounding seagrass flat made it difficult to distinguish original planting units from those that had spread via rhizome growth from the surrounding seagrass flat. Percent coverage of turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) also increased at “Robbie’s Flat” by 5.00% and at the “Princess Jullin” site by 5.87%.

As a result of inspections at the restoration sites which yielded areas with greater than 50% vegetative coverage, 13 bird stakes were removed from the “Princess Jullin” site and 64 were removed from “Robbie’s Flat” stake array in March 2006. After conducting Year 1 monitoring, observations indicated that the density of seagrass and macroalgae coverage in specific areas of these sites (greater than 50%) was such that a scar was no longer  

visible and that the density of the seagrass was great enough overall that the presence of the bird stakes would begin to cause detrimental effects; particularly in areas were turtle grass was the dominant species. Therefore, in June 2006, additional bird stakes were removed from all but the “Curved Scar” and of the 732 that were installed in 2005, only 487 bird stakes remain.

Year 2 monitoring of our restoration will be conducted in May 2007.

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Pat Wells and Melba Nezbed, former and current park managers at Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park and George Jones, Florida Park Service District 5 Bureau Chief for their continual support, encouragement and persistence regarding seagrass protection and restoration. We would also like to thank Assistant Park Manager Bob Rose and Park Rangers John Henry Rieder and Lance Romance for providing assistance in the field. And Jeanette Hobbs, manager of the Keys Environmental Restoration Trust Fund for funding part of this restoration project.

1Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Park Service, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, P.O. Box 1052, Islamorada, Florida 33036, USA

²Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Park Service, District 5 Administration, 13798 S.E. Federal Highway, Hobe Sound, Florida, 33455, USA

3Florida Atlantic University, Wilkes Honor College, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: janice.duquesnel@dep.state.fl.us

LITERATURE CITED Removed for space; contact author for citations.