Research goal
Our goal is to understand the effects of environmental stressors on large-scale physiological processes such as plant development and reproduction within seagrass populations and to communicate these results to resource agencies and policy makers charged with their management. Specifically, we are interested in how environmental conditions impact:
- Seagrass growth, reproduction, and population dynamics
- Resilience to climate change and other environmental stressors
- Restoration success and ecological recovery
- Long-term ecosystem change and ecological forecasting
Why seagrass?
Seagrasses are the foundation of healthy coastal ecosystems. They provide habitat, improve water quality, stabilize shorelines, and store carbon. As climate change and other human impacts continue to threaten these underwater meadows, our research helps identify how they respond, recover, and can be restored.
Research approach
We combine long-term monitoring, field and laboratory experiments, ecological modeling, and remote sensing to better understand seagrass ecosystems and provide science that informs coastal management.
Current research
Florida Bay Fisheries Habitat Assessment Program (FHAP)
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Using one of the world's longest-running seagrass monitoring programs to understand ecosystem change and support Everglades restoration.
Research Focus:
Status: 2021 - present |
NC SAV Watchers
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Expanding citizen science to improve monitoring of NC's seagrass meadows.
Research Focus:
Funding: North Carolina Sea Grant Status: 2026–Present NC Sea Grant News Release! |
Climate-Resilient Eelgrass Restoration
Image Source: NPS
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Using genomics and common garden experiments to improve eelgrass restoration across National Parks from North Carolina to Maine.
Research Focus:
Partners: Boston University • National Park Service • University of Connecticut • Cornell Cooperative Extension • Stony Brook University • University of Maryland Eastern Shore • Virginia Institute of Marine Science • United States Geological Survey • BEAR, LLC Funding: National Park Foundation • National Park Service Status: 2023–Present |
APNEP High Salinity SAV Monitoring
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Monitoring long-term changes in submerged aquatic vegetation to support management of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary.
Research Focus
Funding: APNEP Status: 2024–Present |
Previous research highlights
Evaluating climate resilience in eelgrass populations across North Carolina and Virginia. (2022–2025)
Outcome: Advanced understanding of thermal resilience and informed restoration strategies across the southern range of eelgrass.
Project Page: National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative
Project Webinar: NOAA NERR Science Collaborative Webinar Series
Changing SAV Communities and Blue Crab Habitat (2020–2023)
Outcome: Quantified how changing seagrass communities influence blue crab habitat and informed climate adaptation strategies for coastal resource management.
Publications: Easterly, G.N., J.C. Jarvis, T. Alphin, M. Posey. (2025) Impacts of Changing Seagrass on Juvenile Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Habitat Utilization in a Biogeographic Transition Zone. Estuaries and Coasts. doi.org/10.1007/s12237-025-01603-3.
Drone-Based Seagrass Mapping (2020–2023)
Outcome: Established remote sensing protocols and sentinel monitoring sites that improved the efficiency and spatial coverage of seagrass monitoring across North Carolina's coastal waters.
Publications: Lytle, M.A., J.C. Jarvis, (2026) Evaluating UAV based monitoring of seagrass meadows: Insights into spatial configuration and temporal change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2026.110041.
Seagrass Vulnerability to Climate Change in Barnegat Bay (2017–2022)
Outcome: Produced habitat suitability models and interactive planning tools that help resource managers evaluate future restoration opportunities under changing climate conditions.
Publications: Scalpone, C.R., J.C. Jarvis, J.M. Vasslides, J.M. Testa, and Neil K. Ganju. (2020). Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.539946
NC Seagrass Sentinel Sites (2017–2022)
Outcome: Created a network of sentinel sites that continues to provide long-term data on seagrass abundance, water quality, and ecosystem health, forming the foundation for several current monitoring and climate resilience projects.
Publications: Bartenfelder, A., W.J. Kenworthy, B. Puckett, C. Deaton, and J.C. Jarvis. (2022) The Abundance and Persistence of Temperate and Tropical Seagrasses at Their Edge-of-Range in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:917237. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.917237
Hurricane Florence and Seagrass Resilience (2019)
Outcome: Improved understanding of how extreme storms influence seagrass recovery, community dynamics, and ecosystem resilience, providing insights for managing coastal habitats in a changing climate.
Publications: (1) Zhang, Y.S., S.H. Swinea, G. Roskar, S.N. Trackenberg, R.K. Gittman, J.C. Jarvis, W.J. Kenworthy, L.A. Yeager, and F.J. Fodrie. (2022) Tropical cyclone impacts on seagrass-associated fishes in a temperate-subtropical estuary. PLOS ONE 17(10): e0273556. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273556
(2) Baker, H., W.J. Kenworthy, J. Fodrie, B. Puckett, E. Clancey, J.Jarvis. (2025) The Response of Zostera marina and Its Seed Bank to Two Tropical Cyclones in North Carolina, USA. Estuaries and Coasts. 48:8 doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01443-7.
Outcome: Advanced understanding of thermal resilience and informed restoration strategies across the southern range of eelgrass.
Project Page: National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative
Project Webinar: NOAA NERR Science Collaborative Webinar Series
Changing SAV Communities and Blue Crab Habitat (2020–2023)
Outcome: Quantified how changing seagrass communities influence blue crab habitat and informed climate adaptation strategies for coastal resource management.
Publications: Easterly, G.N., J.C. Jarvis, T. Alphin, M. Posey. (2025) Impacts of Changing Seagrass on Juvenile Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Habitat Utilization in a Biogeographic Transition Zone. Estuaries and Coasts. doi.org/10.1007/s12237-025-01603-3.
Drone-Based Seagrass Mapping (2020–2023)
Outcome: Established remote sensing protocols and sentinel monitoring sites that improved the efficiency and spatial coverage of seagrass monitoring across North Carolina's coastal waters.
Publications: Lytle, M.A., J.C. Jarvis, (2026) Evaluating UAV based monitoring of seagrass meadows: Insights into spatial configuration and temporal change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2026.110041.
Seagrass Vulnerability to Climate Change in Barnegat Bay (2017–2022)
Outcome: Produced habitat suitability models and interactive planning tools that help resource managers evaluate future restoration opportunities under changing climate conditions.
Publications: Scalpone, C.R., J.C. Jarvis, J.M. Vasslides, J.M. Testa, and Neil K. Ganju. (2020). Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.539946
NC Seagrass Sentinel Sites (2017–2022)
Outcome: Created a network of sentinel sites that continues to provide long-term data on seagrass abundance, water quality, and ecosystem health, forming the foundation for several current monitoring and climate resilience projects.
Publications: Bartenfelder, A., W.J. Kenworthy, B. Puckett, C. Deaton, and J.C. Jarvis. (2022) The Abundance and Persistence of Temperate and Tropical Seagrasses at Their Edge-of-Range in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:917237. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.917237
Hurricane Florence and Seagrass Resilience (2019)
Outcome: Improved understanding of how extreme storms influence seagrass recovery, community dynamics, and ecosystem resilience, providing insights for managing coastal habitats in a changing climate.
Publications: (1) Zhang, Y.S., S.H. Swinea, G. Roskar, S.N. Trackenberg, R.K. Gittman, J.C. Jarvis, W.J. Kenworthy, L.A. Yeager, and F.J. Fodrie. (2022) Tropical cyclone impacts on seagrass-associated fishes in a temperate-subtropical estuary. PLOS ONE 17(10): e0273556. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273556
(2) Baker, H., W.J. Kenworthy, J. Fodrie, B. Puckett, E. Clancey, J.Jarvis. (2025) The Response of Zostera marina and Its Seed Bank to Two Tropical Cyclones in North Carolina, USA. Estuaries and Coasts. 48:8 doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01443-7.
