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Near-Coastal Seagrass Ecosystems

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Ecology and the Environment

Part of the book series: The Plant Sciences ((PLANTSCI,volume 8))

Introduction

Restoration and remediation of seagrass ecosystems have not met with great success. The use of vegetative propagules as a means for reestablishment of seagrass beds has been plagued with difficulties due to mismatches between propagule sources and targeted restoration beds. Removing vegetative propagules from donor beds leads to problems of the donor beds recovering. Growing seagrass from seed is not always a viable option for restoration because of the vulnerability of seedlings and poor recruitment into unvegetated areas. Remediation of destroyed seagrass is not often successful. An understanding of levels of genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure can contribute to improved restoration outcomes by identifying the most genetically appropriate source material for restoration sites. The discoveries made recently through DNA analysis and phylogenetic affinities have also helped untangle some of the taxonomic identities of seagrass and led to better decisions as to...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Marine Ecology Pty Ltd, 82 Parsons St, Kensington, Australia

    Hugh Kirkman

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  1. Hugh Kirkman
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Correspondence to Hugh Kirkman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Resources and the Environment and Laboratory for Tree Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Russell K. Monson

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Kirkman, H. (2014). Near-Coastal Seagrass Ecosystems. In: Monson, R. (eds) Ecology and the Environment. The Plant Sciences, vol 8. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7501-9_20

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