The influence of decreased salinity levels on the survival, growth and physiology of eelgrass Zostera marina

Zhang, Yanhao; Yu, Bing; Liu, You-Cai; Ma, Wei; Li, Wentao; Zhang, Peidong

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105787

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Eelgrass productivity peaks in moderately saline water (Nejrup and Pedersen 2008). Zhang et al (2022) found maximum Zostera marina survivorship at 18-21‰ salinity, almost exactly the modern range in internal Danish coastal waters, which may explain the exceptionally high eelgrass productivity in this region, which includes the southwest Baltic, west of the Darss Sill (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Productivity of the eelgrass biotope and the resilience of fisher-hunter-gatherers in prehistoric Denmark

Meadows,

Fischer

2024

Preprint

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In the shallow coastal waters of the Danish archipelago, eelgrass (Zostera marina) forms extensive and extremely productive stands, which support food webs that are isotopically distinct from those based on the primary productivity of marine phytoplankton. The isotopic signatures of eelgrass and phytoplankton food webs explain much of the variation in δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values in marine vertebrate remains recovered from prehistoric coastal sites in Denmark. Isotope data from human and dog remains reflect the overwhelming importance of the eelgrass biotope to the fisher-hunter-gatherer (FHG) subsistence during the Late Mesolithic Erteb&oslashlle epoch (~7400-5800 cal BP). By recognising eelgrass and pelagic resources as isotopically distinct, we obtain more accurate diet reconstructions and dietary14C reservoir effect corrections for Erteb&oslashlle individuals. Longstanding research issues, including technology, palaeodemography, and the resilience and sustainability of the FHG economy need to be reassessed in view of the isotopic signature and productivity of the eelgrass biotope in Danish waters. Eelgrass productivity is also pertinent to comparisons between Erteb&oslashlle and Neolithic economies in Denmark, and between FHG adaptations in Denmark and neighbouring regions, and may be key to understanding the much-discussed delay in the transition to farming.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Productivity of the eelgrass biotope and the resilience of fisher-hunter-gatherers in prehistoric Denmark

Meadows,

Fischer

2024

Preprint

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“…However, the salinity tolerance is also population‐specific with Z. marina growing in the marine environment (as the seagrass at Gåsö) being less adapted to low salinity (Salo et al., 2014). The projected salinity decrease is still within the tolerance limit and will likely not affect the seagrass plant health to a large extent (Hellblom & Björk, 1999; Zhang et al., 2022). Reconstruction of salinity and sea water temperature in the Skagerrak region (Jiang et al., 1998; Ni et al., 2021) shows that these environmental parameters have likely remained within the tolerance limit for Z. marina growth throughout the Holocene.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 2,000‐Year Record of Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) Colonization Shows Substantial Gains in Blue Carbon Storage and Nutrient Retention

Dahl,

Gullström,

Bernabeu

et al. 2024

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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Assessing historical environmental conditions linked to habitat colonization is important for understanding long‐term resilience and improving conservation and restoration efforts. Such information is lacking for the seagrass Zostera marina, an important foundation species across cold‐temperate coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we reconstructed environmental conditions during the last 14,000 years from sediment cores in two eelgrass (Z. marina) meadows along the Swedish west coast, with the main aims to identify the time frame of seagrass colonization and describe subsequent biogeochemical changes following establishment. Based on vegetation proxies (lipid biomarkers), eelgrass colonization occurred about 2,000 years ago after geomorphological changes that resulted in a shallow, sheltered environment favoring seagrass growth. Seagrass establishment led to up to 20‐ and 24‐fold increases in sedimentary carbon and nitrogen accumulation rates, respectively. This demonstrates the capacity of seagrasses as efficient ecosystem engineers and their role in global change mitigation and adaptation through CO2 removal, and nutrient and sediment retention. By combining regional climate projections and landscape models, we assessed potential climate change effects on seagrass growth, productivity and distribution until 2100. These predictions showed that seagrass meadows are mostly at risk from increased sedimentation and hydrodynamic changes, while the impact from sea level rise alone might be of less importance in the studied area. This study showcases the positive feedback between seagrass colonization and environmental conditions, which holds promise for successful conservation and restoration efforts aimed at supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the provision of several other crucial ecosystem services.

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“…The SR (%) was calculated as the number of total stock plants ( S P + S T ) still alive after the experiment, compared to the number of plants planted at the beginning of the experiment (Zhang et al 2023).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2). The water in the system was held at a temperature of 20.7 AE 1.2 C, salinity range of 20.0 AE 1.5 PSU, and a HCO 3 À concentration of 4.9 AE 0.1 mmol/L according to Lee et al (2007) and Zhang et al (2022cZhang et al ( , 2023. The water in the tank was renewed daily at a rate of 30%.…”

Section: Experimental Apparatus and Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Light duration, temperature, salinity, carbon sources, and nutrients availability are critical factors that influence the growth and propagation of seagrass (Lee et al 2007;Zhang et al 2020). Zhang et al (2022bZhang et al ( , 2022aZhang et al ( , 2022cZhang et al ( , 2023 investigated the effects of prolonged light duration, reduced salinity, HCO 3 À -concentration adjustments, planting density variations, and sediment fertilization on Z. marina plant propagation. They observed that under optimal environmental conditions after 42 days, the PC reached 0.056-0.064 shoots shoot À1 day À1 , approximately 3.3-3.8 times higher than those in natural conditions (Marbà & Duarte 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Propagating eelgrass (Zostera marina) from cuttings in land–sea combination systems: a novel method to improve the sustainability of seagrass restoration

Zhang,

Zhao,

et al. 2024

Restoration Ecology

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The combination of a land‐based system and natural habitat can propagate donor plants from cuttings for use in seagrass restoration projects; however, the appropriate period for land‐based cultivation is unclear. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) cuttings were cultivated under different combinations of land‐based (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks) and natural habitat cultivation for 12 weeks. We measured survivorship, growth, productivity, leaf pigmentation, and carbohydrate concentration in eelgrass. Return on investment (defined as the number of ramets of Z. marina returned through input cultivation costs in the seagrass cultivation process) analysis suggested that the optimal period of land‐based cultivation for the propagation of Z. marina is 3.1–3.8 weeks. The ramet frequency of Z. marina exposed to a combination of land‐based cultivation (3 weeks) and natural habitat cultivation (9 weeks) was 1.4 times higher than that of plants cultivated in natural habitats for 12 weeks. The promotional effect of the combination of land‐based and natural habitat cultivation on Z. marina mainly depended on the increase in chlorophyll content and the accumulation and synthesis of nonstructural carbohydrates. The soluble sugar content of Z. marina leaves exposed to a combination of land‐based cultivation (3 weeks) and natural habitat cultivation (9 weeks) was 1.5 times higher than that of plants cultivated in natural habitats for 12 weeks. These results indicated that implementation of a controlled plant cultivation system and process to acquire abundant donor plants. This can help provide valuable data for the development of efficient artificial propagation technologies for Z. marina.

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The influence of decreased salinity levels on the survival, growth and physiology of eelgrass Zostera marina

Cited by 8 publications

References 59 publications

Productivity of the eelgrass biotope and the resilience of fisher-hunter-gatherers in prehistoric Denmark

Productivity of the eelgrass biotope and the resilience of fisher-hunter-gatherers in prehistoric Denmark

A 2,000‐Year Record of Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) Colonization Shows Substantial Gains in Blue Carbon Storage and Nutrient Retention

Propagating eelgrass (Zostera marina) from cuttings in land–sea combination systems: a novel method to improve the sustainability of seagrass restoration

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