Gulf and Caribbean Research

Alternate Title

Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule wrightii Harvest for Restoration in Northwest Florida

Authors

• Katie M. Konchar, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFollow
• Becca A. Hatchell, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFollow
• Colin P. Shea, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFollow
• Bradley T. Furman, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFollow
• Kent Smith, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Bare‑root harvesting of Halodule wrightii is widely used to supply donor material for seagrass restoration, yet the capacity of donor meadows to recover in near‑temperate systems remains poorly documented. We evaluated donor‑site recovery following bare‑root harvesting in St. Andrew Bay, northwest Florida—an estuary at the northern extent of Tropical Atlantic Bioregion 2 where H. wrightii exhibits strong seasonal senescence and a shortened growing season. Thirty harvest impact sites were monitored for 388 days to quantify changes in shoot density, percent frequency, and sediment elevation relative to nearby reference conditions. Shoot density and percent frequency at harvested sites converged with reference sites within one year, indicating rapid vegetative recolonization consistent with published rhizome elongation rates for H. wrightii. Harvest depressions also infilled naturally, with sediment elevations returning to within 2–3 cm of surrounding substrate levels. Recovery was facilitated by conducting harvests in April at the onset of peak seasonal growth, spacing extractions at ≥2 m intervals, and limiting extraction diameter and depth to 20 cm and 8 cm, respectively, to maintain meadow connectivity and minimize cumulative disturbance. These findings demonstrate that bare‑root harvesting can provide donor material for restoration without causing long‑term degradation of H. wrightii meadows in near‑temperate estuaries, offering science‑based guidance for restoration planning and permitting throughout northwest Florida.

First Page

77

Last Page

85

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3701.16"<https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3701.16>

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement

No artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the preparation of this manuscript

Recommended Citation

Konchar, K. M., B. A. Hatchell, C. P. Shea, B. T. Furman and K. Smith. 2026. Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule wrightii Harvest for Restoration in Northwest Florida. Gulf and Caribbean Research 37 (1): 77-85.
Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol37/iss1/16
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3701.16