Seagrasses are among the most important foundation species in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life, stabilizing sediments and helping improve water quality.
Seagrasses are among the most important foundation species in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life, stabilizing sediments and helping improve water quality. Yet nearly 20% of the world’s historic seagrass cover has been lost, and efforts to restore these vital underwater meadows often face significant challenges.
In Florida’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL), widespread seagrass losses following harmful algal blooms have left many areas with little natural recovery. Now, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute have identified a resilient native seagrass species that could offer a new approach to restoring degraded estuarine habitats.
The study, published in Regional Studies in Marine Science, provides new insight into the life history and potential restoration applications of Ruppia maritima, a relatively uncommon seagrass in the IRL that has persisted in some of the lagoon’s most environmentally altered areas, including mosquito impoundments that can be especially challenging to seagrass while also offering a promising study environment.
Read More at: Florida Atlantic University
Photo Credit: fotoblend via Pixabay
