Depth Affects Seagrass Restoration Success and Resilience to Marine Heat Wave Disturbance

Aoki, Lillian R.; McGlathery, Karen J.; Wiberg, Patricia L.; Al‐Haj, Alia N.

doi:10.1007/s12237-019-00685-0

Cited by 40 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The value of a long-term commitment (20+ years) to annual seeding efforts should also not be discounted. The development of inherent, self-stabilizing feedbacks can require years of meadow expansion and growth ( 20 ), and many environmental or other factors can temporarily slow or reverse this progression ( 24 ). These characteristics contrast the current study with many other seagrass restoration efforts, in which an average of 460 seeds (or adult plants) was broadcast in <1 m 2 plots and monitored for only 12 months ( 16 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services

et al. 2020

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There have been increasing attempts to reverse habitat degradation through active restoration, but few large-scale successes are reported to guide these efforts. Here, we report outcomes from a unique and very successful seagrass restoration project: Since 1999, over 70 million seeds of a marine angiosperm, eelgrass (Zostera marina), have been broadcast into mid-western Atlantic coastal lagoons, leading to recovery of 3612 ha of seagrass. Well-developed meadows now foster productive and diverse animal communities, sequester substantial stocks of carbon and nitrogen, and have prompted a parallel restoration for bay scallops (Argopecten irradians). Restored ecosystem services are approaching historic levels, but we also note that managers value services differently today than they did nine decades ago, emphasizing regulating in addition to provisioning services. Thus, this study serves as a blueprint for restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems to safeguard multiple benefits, including co-benefits that may emerge as management priorities over time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services

et al. 2020

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“…Depth is a critical determinant of seagrass restoration success (Aoki et al, 2020). These results suggest that the greatest eelgrass survival may occur in areas ≤3 m depth, which are therefore the most suitable sites for restoration in Ailian Bay.…”

Section: Implications For Restorationmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Site selection for potential seagrass transplantation is crucial for restoration success, and environmental parameters limit suitable habitat availability for seagrass restoration (van Katwijk et al, 2016). One essential parameter determining seagrass restoration success is depth (Aoki et al, 2020). However, suggestions for site selection for seagrass restoration are mainly based on either in situ investigations or laboratory experiments.…”

Section: In Situ Suspended Cultures and Improvement Of The Experimentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seagrass coverage declines with water depth, and a light availability gradient exists along this natural depth distribution (Duarte, 1995). Depth has been shown to be a critical determinant of seagrass restoration success, suggesting it is imperative for identifying the most resilient areas that are most suitable for conservation and restoration (Aoki et al, 2020). Therefore, the depth of colonization of eelgrass in Ailian Bay needs to be confirmed for future restoration efforts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In situ Responses of the Eelgrass Zostera marina L. to Water Depth and Light Availability in the Context of Increasing Coastal Water Turbidity: Implications for Conservation and Restoration

Wang

et al. 2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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Accelerating losses of seagrass meadows has led to efforts to restore these highly productive and beneficial ecosystems globally. Depth and light availability are critical determinants of seagrass restoration success. Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) is the dominant seagrass species in the temperate northern hemisphere, but its global distribution has reduced dramatically. The main aims of this study were to determine: (1) the depth limit for Z. marina survival in Ailian Bay, north China, and (2) how light availability affects the growth and recruitment of Z. marina as a basis for identifying a suitable depth range for successful restoration. To achieve these aims, Z. marina shoots were transplanted from a nearby donor site, Swan Lake, to an experimental site, Ailian Bay, and the temporal responses of Z. marina shoots to light availability at water depths ranging from 1 to 8 m were investigated using in situ suspended cultures. Four suspended shoot transplantation experiments were conducted in 4 years. The results showed that the transplanted Z. marina shoots could survive and branch during an annual growth cycle, permanently underwater, at a depth ≤3 m. Due to the local turbidity of the waters in Ailian Bay, a depth of 4 m led to sufficient light deprivation (reduced to 6.48–10.08% of surface irradiance) to negatively affect seagrass shoot density and clonal reproduction. In addition, reproductive shoot density also tended to decline with water depth and light deprivation. Our results indicated that Z. marina population recruitment, through sexual and asexual (clonal growth) reproduction, were negatively affected by increasing water depth and light deprivation. These findings may provide a suitable depth range for the successful restoration of Z. marina in local coastal waters. They may also be applied to the management and restoration of Z. marina globally.

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“…Temperature conditions also limit seagrass growth, with species-specific critical temperatures for germination, an optimal temperature for growth, increased respiration with higher temperatures, and a sensitivity to extreme heat stress (Evans et al, 1986;Moore and Jarvis, 2008;Moore et al, 2012;Repolho et al, 2017). Temperature and depth have been shown to interact to control seagrass survival, with higher light requirements at higher temperatures to balance photosynthetic productivity with increased respiration (Tanaka and Nakaoka, 2007), and optimal resilience to marine heat waves at moderate depths (Aoki et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

Scalpone

Jarvis

Vasslides³

et al. 2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Depth Affects Seagrass Restoration Success and Resilience to Marine Heat Wave Disturbance

Cited by 40 publications

References 49 publications

Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services

Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services

In situ Responses of the Eelgrass Zostera marina L. to Water Depth and Light Availability in the Context of Increasing Coastal Water Turbidity: Implications for Conservation and Restoration

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

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