Declining seagrass along the North Carolina coast could cost millions of dollars, according to a new study from Duke University and North Carolina State University . The study, which was conducted through funding by the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) , conservatively estimates that with a 5% loss of seagrass over the next decade, the state could lose $8.6 million. Researchers for the study analyzed how coastal erosion from seagrass decline stacks up to losses for residential property values along developed shorelines.