A comprehensive analysis of more than 11,000 previous coastal-habitat measurements suggests that mangroves and seagrasses provide the greatest value as “nurseries” for young fishes and invertebrates, providing key guidance for managers of threatened marine resources.
A comprehensive analysis of more than 11,000 previous coastal-habitat measurements suggests that mangroves and seagrasses provide the greatest value as “nurseries” for young fishes and invertebrates, providing key guidance for managers of threatened marine resources.
Published today in the prestigious Conservation Letters, the analysis began as a class project at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Lead author Jonathan Lefcheck, now the coordinating scientist with the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, says “Our results confirm the nursery function of a range of structured habitats, which supports their conservation, restoration, and management at a time when our coastal environments are increasingly impacted by human activities.”
Read more at Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Image: Delta Smelt A juvenile Delta Smelt swims above a structured bottom in California's San Joaquin delta. © California Dept. of Water Resources.
