Experimental assessment of critical anthropogenic sediment burial in eelgrass Zostera marina

TL;DR

This study experimentally evaluates how sediment burial from human activities affects eelgrass Zostera marina, revealing negative impacts on plant health and growth, with implications for coastal habitat management.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive field experiment assessing physiological, morphological, and population responses of eelgrass to sediment burial.

Findings

Even minimal burial causes significant plant stress.

Increased burial depth and duration worsen effects.

Buried plants show higher mortality and delayed growth.

Abstract

Seagrass meadows, one of the worlds most important and productive coastal habitats, are threatened by a range of anthropogenic actions. Burial of seagrass plants due to coastal activities is one important anthropogenic pressure leading to decline of local populations. In our study, we assessed the response of eelgrass Zostera marina to sediment burial from physiological, morphological, and population parameters. In a full factorial field experiment, burial level (5-20 cm) and burial duration (4-16 weeks) were manipulated. Negative effects were visible even at the lowest burial level (5 cm) and shortest duration (4 weeks), with increasing effects over time and burial level. Buried seagrasses showed higher shoot mortality, delayed growth and flowering and lower carbohydrate storage. The observed effects will likely have an impact on next years survival of buried plants. Our results have implications for the management of this important coastal plant.