Scientists from the United States Geological Survey will begins studying eel grass off Whidbey Island this month.

“We’ll be taking a look at sea grass off Possession Beach Waterfront Park,” scientist Andrew Stevens said. “Besides being relatively undeveloped, Possession has a lot of wave action, which is what we want.”

The survey is designed to measure the interaction between sea grass and waves; grass is an inherently good habitat for juvenile salmon and other marine life.

At the same time, they’ll use sophisticated underwater sonar gear to check for grass across Possession Sound near the railroad bank.

“We want to see the effect of bulkheads and railroad grades on sea grass,” Stevens said. He added that a survey was done two years ago, and it will be instructive to see what changes, if any, have taken place.

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