The Tortilla Method: - Restore America's Estuaries

The Tortilla Method:
Development and testing of a new
Seagrass Planting Method
Chris Pickerell
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Pickerell@cornell.edu
Stephen Schott, Kimberly Manzo, Barry Udelson,
Nick Krupski & Kimberly Barbour
Restore America’s Estuaries Conference Tampa, FL
October 24, 2012

Outline
• Seagrass Transplanting Basics
• How the Tortilla Method evolved from other
methods we have used
• Details of the Methodology
• Scaling-Up and Integrating Volunteers
• Comparison of our Method to another
Method

Seagrass Transplanting Basics
o Site Selection (WQ, Sed., Light, Temp, etc.)
o Transplant stock (healthy, adapted, etc.)
o Time of year
o Must anchor the plants in or on the bottom until they become
established (weeks to months)

An Effective Transplant Method
o Inexpensive
o Simple to use
o Not overly Labor Intensive
o Compatible with different site
conditions
o Is scalable
o Not susceptible to bioturbation or
erosion loss
o Ideally does not require follow up
maintenance, etc.
o Holds the plants (Anchors them) on
the bottom for at least 2 weeks
From: Kun-Seop Lee & Jung-Im Park “An effective
transplanting technique using shells for restoration of
Zostera marina habitats”

Things to consider for anchors
o Less is better
o Hard structures will cause turbulence
o Hard structures will attract crabs
o Hard structures can be heavy and
cumbersome
o The best systems are below the
sediment surface
o Horizontal Rhizome Method
o Staple Method
o Wooden Stakes
o Etc.

How the Method was Developed
Following the success of our “Rock Planting” method we
decided to try to expand the concept to sites without rocks.
After dismissing the thought of moving rocks we developed
a system that used burlap sandbags as “rocks”.
In addition to being very labor intensive we learned that
the sandbags actually caused more harm then good by
causing excessive erosion in high current areas.
To avoid this problem we started to bury the sand bags
during planting…we soon realized the bag was not
necessary if the plants could be planted within the
sediment

The Tortilla Method Components

Stocking the Tortillas

Planting Tortillas

The “Tortilla Method” Details
Single PU
Test Plot (10)
Small Patch (50)

Test Plots
1m
1m
Test Plot (10PU’s = 100 plants)
Test Plot (5PU’s = 50 plants)
3m
Test Plot Transect (50PU’s = 500 plants)
(25PU’s = 250 plants)

Paradise Pt photo

Scaling-Up/Integrating Volunteers
This system clearly reduces labor/time in the water (SCUBA) but
at the same time requires more labor above water.
Part of this involves making the tortillas the other part involves
stocking/weaving the plants into the tortillas.
To respond to these needs we have created a new volunteerbased
program called “Marine Meadows”
Over the last 1.5yrs. this program has been a tool for education,
outreach and even fundraising.

Making Tortillas

Making Tortillas

Making Tortillas

Workshops

Workshops

Value Added Benefits
Creation of a new volunteer-based
program
Increased visibility and buy-in
(politicians, resource managers,
educators, the press, citizens, children,
etc.)
Increased public and private funding
opportunities

Advantages of the Method
• Has drastically reduced bottom time (SCUBA hrs)
for plantings.
• Increased the number and scale of plantings we
are able to complete in the same time.
• Less time in the water during late fall and early
winter makes for happier divers!
• Has allowed for development of a new public
outreach and education component to our efforts
(increased visibility, increased funding, etc.)

How does this method compare?
Salem Harbor, MA plantings (Tay Evans, Mass Division of Marine Fisheries)
200%
eelgrass % survival
180%
160%
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
HR - shallow
T - shallow
HR - deep
T - deep
20%
0%

Questions?