Word: eelgrass
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Pillar of Society. All along the U.S. Atlantic coast the eelgrass (Zostera marina) is flourishing again, which is cheering news to U.S. Fish & Wildlife people...
Until 1931, eelgrass was the pillar of saltwater mudflat society. Under its waving, tape-thin leaves, young and weak creatures sought shelter-and the hungry and strong sought food. But in 1931 and 1932, the eelgrass meadows vanished leaving flats of barren mud as far north as Nova Scotia. A microscopic fungus (Labyrinthula) streaked the eelgrass leaves with brown, killing them to the roots...
...scallop business was hardest hit; many Americans almost forgot what little bay scallops tasted like. Ducks, geese and brant were sufferers too (they eat eelgrass shoots). The disappearance of the eelgrass upset the entire balance of eastern shoreline life. The fungus became less virulent around 1940; patches of eelgrass appeared and grew bigger. This year the eelgrass is almost back to normal. Life among the seafood is almost normal...