title: Ecology and restoration techniques for Sargassum beds in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan.
abstract: Due to the reduction and degradation of coastal areas in Japan by land reclamation and anthropogenic perturbations, from the point of view of conservation of the coastal environment, the restoration of Sargassum beds is essential. Between 1978 and 1991, 6400 ha of seagrass and seaweed beds have been lost along the Japanese coast, of which Sargassum beds were 22%. New techniques for Sargassum bed restoration are summarized based on three coastal engineering techniques. (1) Construction of shallow and gentle sloping bottom substrata have been shown to be effective for the reestablishment of 'management-free seagrass and Sargassum beds' on developed coasts. (2) Seeding or transplanting using artificial substratum for extension of nursery and fishing grounds around natural Sargassum beds. (3) Periodic transplanting of Sargassum plants using artificially produced seedlings is effective to produce niches to allow faunal re-colonization in severely polluted and sparsely vegetated area. However, prior to implementation, the suitability and limitations of these three techniques requires to be ascertained for effective Sargassum bed restoration.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Fisheries and Environment of Inland Sea, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-17-5 Maruishi, Ohno, Saeki, 739-0452, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terawaki
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchimura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iseki
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004738:Engineering; D004779:Environment Design; D007564:Japan; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants