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

Abstract

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.

Restoration of Seagrass Meadows in the Mediterranean Sea: A Critical Review of Effectiveness and Ethical Issues

“…The relative failure of seagrass restoration in the Mediterranean is often compared to successes in other parts of the world ocean, as illustrated by the restoration of Z. marina meadows [245]. Yet, these successes deserve to be re-examined with a critical eye.…”

“…In Virginia (USA), an unparalleled large-scale restoration effort has been maintained annually for 20 years (1999 through 2018) via seed broadcasting of 75 million seeds of Z. marina [245]. In Chesapeake Bay, restored Z. marina meadows, through shoot transplanting and seed planting, exhibited a genetic diversity similar to that of the donor areas [31].…”

Seagrass Recovery Following Marine Heat Wave Influences Sediment Carbon Stocks

“…Sediments in South Bay are dominated by fine sands and dry bulk density is 1.4 g cm −3 (McGlathery et al, 2012). Seagrass plots in South Bay were seeded in 2001; the original 0.4 ha plots have since expanded into a continuous meadow, approximately 20 km 2 by 2018 (Orth et al, 2020). Our monitoring efforts targeted the area of the original restoration, a region of the larger meadow that was approximately 7 km 2 by 2015 (Oreska et al, 2017; Figure 1).…”

“…Large-scale restoration projects, such as at this study site, are key to these efforts, and they can also provide compelling examples of restoration success. This study site is part of a hugely successful seagrass restoration project, with a total area of more than 36 km 2 as of 2018 (Orth et al, 2020). Despite the localized loss of C resulting from the 2015 MHW disturbance, these restored meadows continue to expand, accumulate sediment C, and provide many additional benefits to water quality and biodiversity.…”

Assessment of local genetic structure and connectivity of the common eelgrass Zostera marina for seagrass restoration in northern Europe

“…3) suggests a stepping-stone dispersal model (Olsen et al 2004, Jahnke et al 2018. Special attention needs to be given to key steppingstone dispersal patterns, which are essential not only to maintaining genetic diversity but are crucial to keeping connectivity between seagrass meadows and economically important marine species associated with seagrasses (Orth et al 2020).…”