Eelgrass has been identified by the Quebec-Atlantic bioregion as a critical coastal habitat. Seagrasses are "coastal canaries"-- sensitive indicators of nearshore ecosystem health. Their distribution and condition are strong indicators of water quality and disturbance. Monitoring of bed extent and eelgrass condition is required to determine whether eelgrass beds are continuing to decline or are recovering, and to determine possible causes of decline so that management action can be considered. To determine the extent of the eelgrass beds, divers swim along the perimeter of the eelgrass beds annually during the month of August and map the total eel grass area using hand-held GPS.