First Observations of a Deep‐Water Seagrass Meadow (Thalassodendron ciliatum) on an Oceanic Reef in the Southern Coral Sea Marine Park, Australia

TL;DR

Scientists discovered a deep-water seagrass meadow in the Coral Sea, which could expand our understanding of seagrass ecosystems and their ecological roles.

Contribution

This is the first observation of a dense deep-water seagrass meadow in the Coral Sea Marine Park.

Findings

A dense meadow of Thalassodendron ciliatum was observed at 25 meters depth in the Coral Sea Marine Park.

Only three other small seagrass patches had been previously recorded in the area.

The discovery highlights the potential ecological importance of deep-water seagrass habitats for reef systems.

Abstract

Tropical seagrass meadows are important global marine ecosystems that provide critical ecosystem goods and services. The extent of global seagrass meadows is mostly mapped from shallow coastal regions and not well known or sampled from deeper offshore locations. Seagrasses can, however, form deep‐water meadows, which likely significantly increase the total area of global seagrass ecosystems and may contribute important ecological functions to offshore tropical seascapes. Here we report the first observation of a dense meadow of
Thalassodendron ciliatum
at a depth of 25 m using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP). Despite significant survey effort in the region, to date there have only been three other observations of seagrass in the CSMP, all sparse and small patches of
Halophila ovalis
and
Halophila decipiens
. We discuss the significance of this newly discovered meadow within the context of current reef health monitoring of the CSMP, reef fish biodiversity and the ecological value of deep‐water seagrass habitats for offshore coral reef systems like the Coral Sea.

First record of a significant deep‐water seagrass meadow in the Coral Sea Marine Park and observations on associated reef fishes.

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