Climate change mitigation by coral reefs and seagrass beds at risk: How global change compromises coastal ecosystem services

James, Rebecca K.; Keyzer, Lennart; Velde, Sebastiaan van de; Herman, P.M.J.; Katwijk, M.M. van; Bouma, Tjeerd J.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159576

Cited by 27 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…As a result of these co-occurring stressors, seagrass area decline is estimated globally at a rate of 1–2% per year with some regions experiencing losses of ~ 7% per year, which equates to the area of one football field every 30 minutes 12 . The degradation of seagrass meadows is of global concern because it inevitably leads to the associated loss of both their societal benefits and wider ecosystem functioning 10 , 13 . Therefore, the need to conserve and restore seagrass systems is urgent as there is still time to facilitate the recovery of seagrass habitat functions and services 14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid seagrass meadow expansion in an Indian Ocean bright spot

Floyd,

East,

Traganos

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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The areal extent of seagrass meadows is in rapid global decline, yet they provide highly valuable societal benefits. However, their conservation is hindered by data gaps on current and historic spatial extents. Here, we outline an approach for national-scale seagrass mapping and monitoring using an open-source platform (Google Earth Engine) and freely available satellite data (Landsat, Sentinel-2) that can be readily applied in other countries globally. Specifically, we map contemporary (2021) and historical (2000–2021; n = 10 maps) shallow water seagrass extent across the Maldives. We found contemporary Maldivian seagrass extent was ~ 105 km2 (overall accuracy = 82.04%) and, notably, that seagrass area increased threefold between 2000 and 2021 (linear model, + 4.6 km2 year−1, r2 = 0.93, p < 0.001). There was a strongly significant association between seagrass and anthropogenic activity (p < 0.001) that we hypothesize to be driven by nutrient loading and/or altered sediment dynamics (from large scale land reclamation), which would represent a beneficial anthropogenic influence on Maldivian seagrass meadows. National-scale tropical seagrass expansion is unique against the backdrop of global seagrass decline and we therefore highlight the Maldives as a rare global seagrass ‘bright spot’ highly worthy of increased attention across scientific, commercial, and conservation policy contexts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid seagrass meadow expansion in an Indian Ocean bright spot

Floyd,

East,

Traganos

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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“…One of the Islands that became a tourist destination is Bira Island, which is included in the conservation area and core zone of the Kepulauan Seribu. The pollution level in the Jakarta Bay area has an impact on the quality of several physical and chemical water parameters in the Kepulauan Seribu (Handayani et al 2023) Coral reef ecosystems worldwide, including those in Indonesia, face imminent threats leading to habitat degradation and destruction, primarily attributed to various direct and indirect human activities (James et al 2023). Rapid population growth, business interests, and increased accessibility to coastal resources by technological advancements and climate change exacerbate those damages (Adam et al 2021;Bax et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assess the level of damage to the coral reef ecosystem based on substrate coverage on Bira Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia

KOMALA,

NOER,

MIARSYAH

et al. 2024

Biodiversitas

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Abstract. Komala R, Noer MI, Miarsyah M, Widyartini DS, Handayani. 2024. Assess the level of damage to the coral reef ecosystem based on substrate coverage on Bira Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 971-977. Coral reefs are coastal ecosystems that have an important ecological and economic role. Environmental pressures cause damage to ecosystems and decrease coral biodiversity. This study aims to analyze the level of damage to coral reef ecosystems based on substrate cover and obtain the latest information on coral reef ecosystem resources. The study employs a descriptive method with a survey design, utilizing Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) sampling at various depths along the coastline. The data is analyzed using Coral Point Count with Excel extension (CPCe) for substrate cover percentage and the Shannon-Wienner index for coral diversity. The findings reveal nine categories of basic substrate cover, with living hard corals constituting 32.51%, indicating a fairly damaged state. Coral resources are identified across 53 genera and 15 families, exhibiting medium diversity across stations and depths. The study highlights the need to monitor environmental threats that could further damage coral reefs and decrease diversity. The coral reef ecosystem in Bira Island is in a relatively damaged condition, with a decline in coral biodiversity, indicating an imbalance in the ecosystem. Several recommended steps include implementing coral restoration programs, monitoring coral growth, establishing critical coral habitat protection zones, and conducting conservation efforts.

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“…Climate change is a global threat and challenge affecting countries around the world (James et al, 2023;Losciale et al, 2023). The situation is exacerbated by the rising levels of greenhouse gases, including CO2, CH4, and N2O in the atmosphere, primarily driven by increased human activities (Cassia et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass Community Structure and Ecosystem Carbon Stocks Along the Shoreline of Semujur Island, Bangka Belitung Province, Indonesia

Muliawati,

Choesin

2024

Environ. Nat. Resour. J.

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Seagrass meadows serve as vital blue carbon ecosystems, sequestering significant amounts of CO2 and playing a crucial role in climate change mitigation. Semujur Island, located in the Bangka Belitung Province, exemplifies numerous small Indonesian islands boasting extensive seagrass meadows lining their shores. This research seeks to (1) describe the community structure of seagrass on Semujur Island, (2) assess the carbon storage within the seagrass ecosystem, and (3) analyze the relationship between seagrass community structure and carbon reserves across three distinct sites. According to the results of this study, there are eight species of seagrass on Semujur Island, i.e., Cymodocea rotundata, Enhalus acoroides, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis, Oceana serrulata, Syringodium isoetifolium, Thalassia hemprichii, and Thalassodendron ciliatum. Diversity indices varied among sites, ranging from 1.48 to 1.72. Species evenness indices varied between 0.83 and 0.92, while dominance indices varied between 0.20 and 0.28. The highest estimated carbon stock was obtained at the site dominated by the species H. uninervis (75.11 MgC/ha); followed by the site dominated by T. hemprichii (50.55 MgC/ha). The correlation between seagrass community structure, including density and coverage, and carbon stocks demonstrated a moderate positive correlation, with coefficients of 0.430 and 0.528, respectively (p<0.05). This research highlights the significance of integrating ecological dynamics into the management of seagrass ecosystems to enhance climate change mitigation efforts. Additionally, it offers valuable data as a reference for the restoration and conservation of seagrass ecosystems.

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Climate change mitigation by coral reefs and seagrass beds at risk: How global change compromises coastal ecosystem services

Cited by 27 publications

References 82 publications

Rapid seagrass meadow expansion in an Indian Ocean bright spot

Rapid seagrass meadow expansion in an Indian Ocean bright spot

Assess the level of damage to the coral reef ecosystem based on substrate coverage on Bira Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia

Seagrass Community Structure and Ecosystem Carbon Stocks Along the Shoreline of Semujur Island, Bangka Belitung Province, Indonesia

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