title: Experimental assessment of critical anthropogenic sediment burial in eelgrass Zostera marina.
abstract: Seagrass meadows, one of the world's most important and productive coastal habitats, are threatened by a range of anthropogenic actions. Burial of seagrass plants due to coastal activities is one important anthropogenic pressure leading to the decline of local populations. In our study, we assessed the response of eelgrass Zostera marina to sediment burial from physiological, morphological, and population parameters. In a full factorial field experiment, burial level (5-20cm) and burial duration (4-16weeks) were manipulated. Negative effects were visible even at the lowest burial level (5cm) and shortest duration (4weeks), with increasing effects over time and burial level. Buried seagrasses showed higher shoot mortality, delayed growth and flowering and lower carbohydrate storage. The observed effects will likely have an impact on next year's survival of buried plants. Our results have implications for the management of this important coastal plant.
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Munkes
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: pschubert@geomar.de.
authors.forename: Philipp R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: State Agency for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Areas Schleswig-Holstein (LLUR), Hamburger Chaussee 25, D-24220 Flintbek, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karez
authors.affiliation: GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten B H
authors.initials: TBH
authors.lastname: Reusch
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D017753:Ecosystem; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D005858:Germany; D008386:Marine Biology / Q000379:methods; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D035962:Zosteraceae / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Baltic Sea; Carbohydrates; Mortality; Seagrass; Sedimentation