The Alabama House concurred Thursday on final passage of legislation by State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island) creating the Alabama Seagrass Restoration Task Force.

HB38 charges the newly formed task force with developing innovative, cost-efficient, and environmentally sustainable technologies to restore coastal seagrass ecosystems along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

“Seagrass anchors numerous aquatic ecosystems throughout the Gulf Coast area, and its loss is resulting in a domino effect of negative environmental impacts,” Brown said. “This task force will bring experts and stakeholders together to ensure they are all rowing in the same direction as we work to preserve the beautiful coastal and bay environments that Alabama has been blessed to enjoy.”

Seagrass are flowering underwater plants that form dense meadows along shallow coastal waters and bay floors. They serve as nursery habitat for fish and shellfish, filter water, stabilize sediment, and absorb carbon. Alabama’s coastal waters, including Mobile Bay and the waters surrounding Dauphin Island, have seen significant seagrass decline in recent decades due to water quality degradation, boat propeller scarring, and coastal development.

The task force will be co-chaired by the executive director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the president of the University of South Alabama.

Other members include the chairman of the House Ports, Waterways, and Intermodal Transit Committee — a position Brown currently holds — the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and seven additional appointees divided among the governor, lieutenant governor, Senate president pro tempore, House speaker, the Mobile County Commission, and the Baldwin County Commission.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab will provide staff support.

Following an initial organizational meeting, which must be held before January 1, 2027, the task force will be responsible for creating a 10-year Alabama Seagrass and Sea Oats Restoration Plan. The task force must update lawmakers on its progress no later than the first day of each legislative session.

HB38 now heads to Governor Kay Ivey for signature.

Thursday was the 17th day of the legislative session.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].