Eel
grass rings the island, piled up wherever the sea meets the land, stacked and
jumbled near the top of every beach. It has the look and consistency of brown
confetti, and is particularly deep where a storm has blown it ashore, as though
the sea creatures threw a giant party and forgot to clean up. Eel grass is also
the scallop’s city, providing a home for baby scallops to attach via tiny
byssal threads, and slowing down the currents to allow maturing scallops to
filter more food out of the water.
Photos
and text copyright Jim Patrick and Rob Benchley, 2002
