Eelgrass seeds on a clamshell. The plant gives young fish and invertebrates a place to live, reduces coastal erosion, and helps filter the water. Image: Courtesy of Save the Sound

Environmental restoration sometimes requires out-of-the-box thinking. Along the waters of Long Island Sound in New York and Connecticut, experts are tackling the challenge of restoring crucial eelgrass habitats by gluing the plant’s seeds to clams .

Eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) is an important member of the ecosystem. It provides foraging areas and shelter for young fish and invertebrates, diminishes coastal erosion, draws in excess nutrients, filters water, and releases oxygen, for instance.…