Welcome to Our Blog: Among the Grasses

Hi everyone, and welcome to Among the Grasses. This was my idea to share SAV stories with everyone from a more intimate/detailed level. I’m so glad you’ve found your way here! This space is a place to share updates, stories, and glimpses into SAV work happening across Delaware and beyond. Here you’ll find field notes, restoration updates, volunteer highlights, and the collaborations that make this work possible.

This past year has been an important one for me professionally. It’s the first full year I’ve been able to focus entirely on SAV through my role managing the DNREC SAV Program, co-chairing the Delaware Statewide SAV Workgroup (DeSSAV), and serving on the Steering Committee for the East Coast SAV Collaborative. These roles allow me to connect Delaware-specific monitoring and restoration with broader coordination along the Atlantic coast, helping the First State's work contribute to regional understanding and long-term conservation goals.

My connection to SAV reaches much farther back than my time in Delaware. I grew up in a family of fishermen who spent their time traveling around to Barnegat Bay (NJ), Great South Bay (NY), and the beaches of Montauk (NY). I was a beach baby from the start, and I loved exploring the flats at low tide, turning over shells, and chasing hermit crabs in tide pools! My family, whether they realized it or not, set my interests early. I can still remember collecting eelgrass from the wrack-lines at low tide, and listening to my great-grandfather talk about which areas brought in the most crabs and fish (and grumble if there were too many people at his favorite spots). Those moments shaped my curiosity about the underwater world and the connections between plants, animals, and people.

Some early photos of me on the beach! I would spend a lot of my summers with both my great-grandparents and great aunt and uncle camping out on Montauk beaches. A "fun fact" here is that my great-grandpa (currently 96, middle photo) is one of my closest family members to me: I contribute my early interests in the ocean, completing both my college degrees, and openness viewing the world from him.

Fun Fact: My family has a lot of fishermen pride. In fact, the earliest known descendants of my family, that are my great-grandparents' great-grandfathers, fished for a living in Norway. Here is a photo of my great-great-great-great grandfather, Iver Ingebrigsten on a fishing boat! No wonder I love being on the water so much.

Years later, I found myself studying marine science at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), where I earned both my undergraduate (B.S. in Marine Sciences) and graduate (M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy) degrees. The hands-on education at SoMAS gave me the chance to explore many sides of marine science: from fieldwork and restoration to data analysis and management. I was especially drawn to benthic ecology (the study of life on and beneath the seafloor), and how these communities shape entire ecosystems. During my undergraduate years, I also studied abroad in Jamaica through a tropical marine ecology program at the Marine Bay Discovery Lab. It was my first experience with tropical seagrass meadows and coral reef systems—completely different from the eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds I grew up with in New York, yet familiar in all the right ways. Those experiences grounded my passion for understanding how habitat, water quality, and people all fit together in coastal systems.

Fun Fact: I became open water SCUBA certified while studying abroad in Jamaica.

When I came to Delaware and began my role as an Environmental Scientist with DNREC, most of my experience had been with marine SAV, so working in a landscape dominated by freshwater SAV was an exciting new chapter. Delaware’s waterways span an incredible range of habitats, yet we have relatively few truly marine or brackish SAV species. That difference has challenged me: it’s pushed me to grow as a scientist and advocate. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate how unique, resilient, and often underrepresented these plants are, and I’ve found myself advocating for their importance in maintaining healthy water quality and habitat. I like to think big, and working within DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship allows me to view SAV through a full watershed lens- from freshwater headwaters all the way to the ocean. That watershed approach through the freshwater-to-marine continuum feels like the heart of what we do, and it makes this work especially meaningful- challenging- but all the more rewarding. I feel incredibly lucky that my role lets me work across the entire state, in all kinds of waterbodies, alongside partners who share the same dedication to protecting these habitats.

Outside of work, I’m a mom, reader, and birder, and I also help run my family’s Handyman and contracting company. It’s a completely different world from science, and while I’m not exactly known as the “handy one,” I’ve found myself really enjoying my role managing the creative side of it. Over time, I’ve taken on the role of a content creator- designing visuals, managing social media, and finding new ways to connect with people. That same creativity spills over into my work with DeSSAV, where I get to bring a similar energy to outreach. Whether it’s sharing updates from the field, highlighting projects, or having a little fun with posts that make the science behind SAV more relatable, it’s become one of my favorite parts of what I do! You can follow along with our updates on Instagram and Facebook.

Fun Fact: I now get to enjoy taking my family camping at the beach! It's one of the ways we like to spend time together. Here is a photo of daughter exploring her first Eelgrass bed last year.

Thank you for visiting our first blog and hearing my story! I’m excited for what’s ahead and hope you’ll check back as we share more stories, reflections, and moments from DeSSAV's work and beyond. And as always, Stay Grassy!

Kayla Clauson

DeSSAV Co-chair