From coast to coast to coast: ecology and management of seagrass ecosystems across Canada

Seagrass meadows are among the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing essential structure, functions, and services. They are also among the most impacted by human activities and in urgent need of better management and protection. In Canada, eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows are fou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FACETS
Main Authors: Grace E.P. Murphy, Jillian C. Dunic, Emily M. Adamczyk, Sarah J. Bittick, Isabelle M. Côté, John Cristiani, Emilie A. Geissinger, Robert S. Gregory, Heike K. Lotze, Mary I. O’Connor, Carlos A.S. Araújo, Emily M. Rubidge, Nadine D. Templeman, Melisa C. Wong
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2021
Subjects:
eelgrass
zostera marina
biogeographic regions
habitat structure
phenology
species
communities
human impacts
management
conservation
Education
L
Science
Q
Arctic
Canada
Pacific
Climate change
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0020
https://doaj.org/article/cba0f9498392444d946632aee7a4c2ed
Description
Summary:Seagrass meadows are among the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing essential structure, functions, and services. They are also among the most impacted by human activities and in urgent need of better management and protection. In Canada, eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows are found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts, and thus occur across a wide range of biogeographic conditions. Here, we synthesize knowledge of eelgrass ecosystems across Canada’s coasts, highlighting commonalities and differences in environmental conditions, plant, habitat, and community structure, as well as current trends and human impacts. Across regions, eelgrass life history, phenology, and general species assemblages are similar. However, distinct regional differences occur in environmental conditions, particularly with water temperature and nutrient availability. There is considerable variation in the types and strengths of human activities among regions. The impacts of coastal development are prevalent in all regions, while other impacts are of concern for specific regions, e.g., nutrient loading in the Atlantic and impacts from the logging industry in the Pacific. In addition, climate change represents a growing threat to eelgrass meadows. We review current management and conservation efforts and discuss the implications of observed differences from coast to coast to coast.

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