Towards recognition of seagrasses, and their sustainable management

Keulen, M. van; Nordlund, Lina Mtwana; Cullen-Unsworth, Leanne C.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.08.046

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Seagrass is markedly under-appreciated, for example receiving \ 1.5% of the total media attention devoted to coastal systems, compared to coral reef's 72.5% (Duarte et al 2008;Dennison 2009;van Keulen et al 2018). Yet it plays one of the planet's most important ecosystem-service roles (Costanza et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do beds of subtidal estuarine seagrass constitute a refuge for macrobenthic biodiversity threatened intertidally?

Barnes

Claassens

2020

Biodivers Conserv

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biodiversity differentials between macrobenthic assemblages associated with adjacent intertidal and subtidal areas of a single seagrass system were investigated for the first time. Assemblage metrics of conservation relevance—faunal abundance and its patchiness, faunal richness, and beta diversity—were examined at four contrasting dwarf-eelgrass localities in the Knysna estuarine bay, part of South Africa's Garden Route National Park but a system whose intertidal areas are heavily impacted anthropogenically. Faunal assemblages were significantly different across all localities and between subtidal and intertidal levels at each locality although their taxonomic distinctness was effectively constant. Although, as would be expected, there were clear trends for increases in overall numbers of species towards the mouth at all levels, few generalities relating to the relative importance of the subtidal seagrass habitat were evident across the whole system—magnitude and direction of differentials were contingent on locality. Shore-height related differences in assemblage metrics were minor in the estuarine and lagoonal zones but major in the marine compartment, although the much greater subtidal faunal abundance there was largely consequent on the superabundance of a single species (the microgastropod Alaba pinnae), intertidal zones then displaying the greater species diversity due to greater equitability of species densities. Along its axial channel, the Knysna subtidal seagrass does not support richer versions of the intertidal polychaete-dominated assemblages fringing it; instead, it supports different and more patchily dispersed gastropod-dominated ones. At Knysna at least, the subtidal hardly constitutes a reservoir of the seagrass biodiversity present intertidally.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do beds of subtidal estuarine seagrass constitute a refuge for macrobenthic biodiversity threatened intertidally?

Barnes

Claassens

2020

Biodivers Conserv

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…WH properties are the “flagship” of marine protected areas globally and so should lead seagrass conservation efforts (UNESCO, 2020). To achieve that, research funding, public awareness, and monitoring efforts need to increase (van Keulen et al, 2018). Research should focus on improving mapping techniques, developing models of future seagrass distribution under climate change, and providing accurate quantitative information on cumulative impacts of anthropogenic and climate pressures (York et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation status, research, and knowledge of seagrass habitats in World Heritage properties

Losciale

Day

Heron

2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change is increasingly threatening World Heritage (WH) properties and their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Climate change impacts the attributes that collectively contribute to the OUV; these attributes can be natural (e.g., seagrass) or cultural (e.g., monuments). A recent UNESCO report showed that seagrass habitats within WH properties are estimated to hold 25% of the global seagrass blue carbon asset. Globally, seagrass habitats provide a wide range of benefits to adjacent ecosystems and coastal human communities, yet they have been declining due to direct anthropogenic and climate change stressors. However, the UNESCO report did not provide any information about the relative importance of the attribute “seagrass habitats” toward the OUV and associated communities of WH properties, nor about their conservation status. This study builds upon this previous work by assessing the relative importance of seagrass habitats toward the values of WH properties and by reviewing the current knowledge about the conservation status, threats, monitoring, and management of seagrass habitats within WH properties. Seagrass was identified as an attribute of Very High or High importance to 9 of 28 WH properties. Through analysis of UNESCO documents and scientific literature, we highlight the lack of research, monitoring, and management instruments addressing the protection of seagrass from climate change impacts within these 28 WH properties. Notably, climate change threats to WH seagrass habitats are poorly addressed within WH documentation. The insufficient analysis and reporting of climate impacts on seagrass within WH properties point to an underestimation of the value of this marine ecosystem broadly.

show abstract

“…In the GBRMP, continued expansion of MPAs across Australian government, state and territory jurisdictions have led to an increased proportion of the marine environment placed under active conservation management plans. Strategies focusing on biodiversity protection and sustainable development of Australia's environment have been released providing frameworks for co-ordinated management [68,96]. Management tools in this location include Marine Park Zoning, which involves the use of no take zones (NTZs) designated as "Green Zones", along with six other protective zones, general use zones and Estuarine conservation zones.…”

Section: 221mentioning

confidence: 99%

A regional and international framework for evaluating seagrass management and conservation

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Towards recognition of seagrasses, and their sustainable management

Cited by 7 publications

References 23 publications

Do beds of subtidal estuarine seagrass constitute a refuge for macrobenthic biodiversity threatened intertidally?

Do beds of subtidal estuarine seagrass constitute a refuge for macrobenthic biodiversity threatened intertidally?

Conservation status, research, and knowledge of seagrass habitats in World Heritage properties

A regional and international framework for evaluating seagrass management and conservation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About