Seagrasses are in global decline calling for increased research on the ecology and resilience of local populations. Major components of successful seagrass resilience are reproduction and recruitment, which increase genetic diversity and therefore resilience capacity. Although originally thought to be driven by clonal expansion, there is increasing evidence for some species, such as Thalassia testudinum, that dispersal and expansion are largely driven by sexual reproduction. Through analysis of T. testudinum short shoot leaf and flower scars, we are able to reconstruct individual plant reproductive history through time. For certain seed-bearing species, such as Halodule wrightii, we are able to estimate reproductive output by quantifying seed banks in sediment cores. Here we will discuss the benefits and uses of these methods, and present results of seagrasses that persist at the highly dynamic Chandeleur Islands, LA, highlighting species-specific spatial patterns. Quantifying the reproductive effort of these local populations will enhance our understanding of reproductive ecology and resilience of seagrasses and seagrass communities, and further inform larger management efforts including long-term monitoring programs and potential restoration projects.