By Alex Jackson, Greenwich High School class of 2027
On Sunday, more than a dozen volunteers headed to Tod’s Point for an eelgrass repopulation event.
The effort was described as “eelgrass seed gluing” to support revitalizing the population of eelgrass by connecting the seeds to clams and planting them in the water.
With 25,000 seeds and 2,500 clams, the group worked diligently for over four hours and in the rain to save the marine plant.
Initially held in Clinton, Connecticut, Joan Sagan and Allison Rugila decided to host the event in Greenwich due to increased water clarity.
Over 90% of eelgrass have died in Connecticut, but Ms Rugila said she believes that with additional attempts and a bit of time, the eelgrass will create a self-sustaining meadow in Greenwich.
Sagan was grateful for the turnout.
“Everyone loves Long Island Sound and everyone wants to do their part in restoring it,” she said.
“This was a wonderful combined effort of the Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission and Conservation Commission,” said Susie Baker, an environmental activist and a retired marine bio and oceanography teacher at Greenwich High School. The Sue H. Baker Pavilion at Greenwich Point was named in her honor.
Save the Sound provided the eelgrass seed and a marine glue used to attach the seed to live hard shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) donated to the Shellfish Commission by Norm Bloom, Norwalk commercial shellfisherman.
“The clams were then put back on our Greenwich shellfish beds, where we hope the seeds will germinate in an attempt to reestablish— after so many years— a healthy growth of eelgrass in western Long Island Sound,” Baker said. “If it is successful, we can re-introduce bay scallops to our waters!”
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
Myra Klockenbrink and Svetlana Wasserman help with a project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026
Container full of Eelgrass seeds that were glued to clams and then planted in the water. Oct 11, 2026 Photo: Alex Jackson
A project sponsored by Greenwich’s Shellish Commission and the Conservation Commission seeks to reestablish eelgrass growth in offshore waters. Photo: Alex Jackson. Oct 11, 2026