Assessing intertidal seagrass beds relative to water quality in Vanuatu, South Pacific

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:163

Article

Lincoln, Susana¹  Vannoni, Marta¹  Benson, Lisa¹  Engelhard, Georg H.¹  Tracey, Dieter²  Shaw, Christina³  Molisa, Vatumaraga⁴ 

[1] Ctr Environm Fisheries & Aquaculture Sci Cefas, Pakefield Rd, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, Suffolk, England

[2] Sci Graph, 28 Dalziel St, Stratford, Qld 4870, Australia

[3] Vanuatu Environm Sci Soc VESS, POB 1630,Anchor House,Kumal Highway, Port Vila, Shefa Province, Vanuatu

[4] Dept Environm Protect & Conservat, PMB 9063, Port Vila, Shefa Province, Vanuatu

关键词: Seagrass;    Water quality;    Vulnerability;    Human activities;    Intertidal;    Pacific islands;    Climate change;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111936

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Seagrasses are globally important, but their extent is decreasing due to the impact of human activities and changing climatic conditions. Seagrass meadows provide vital services, but their condition and distribution are not yet well known, particularly in many small tropical Pacific islands. In 2018, observations and samples were collected from intertidal seagrasses of Efate Island, Vanuatu (South Pacific). Observations included canopy height, percentage cover, growth rate and species variety. Water quality samples were also collected in some locations. Our seagrass metrics suggested more challenging conditions for the seagrasses near Port Vila, the main urban area in the island, where water quality analyses indicated higher levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and suspended solids.

【 授权许可】

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