Seagrass meadow

I have replaced a citation which was wrong, instead of erosion it was about flowering. I added 3 new citations from scientific articles. I also removed a sentence that was a repetition from the previous sentence.

← Previous revision Revision as of 09:57, 3 May 2026 Line 70: Line 70:

===Coastal protection=== ===Coastal protection=== Seagrasses are also [[ecosystem engineer]]s, which means they alter the ecosystem around them, adjusting their surroundings in both physical and chemical ways.<ref name=":13"/><ref name=":03"/> The long blades of seagrasses slow the movement of water which reduces wave energy and offers further protection against [[coastal erosion]] and [[storm surge]]. Many seagrass species produce an extensive underground network of roots and [[rhizome]] which stabilizes sediment and reduces coastal erosion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Grey |first1=William |last2=Moffler |first2=Mark |date=1987|title=Flowering of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitacea) in the Tampa Bay, Florida area|journal=Aquatic Botany|volume=5|pages=251–259|doi=10.1016/0304-3770(78)90068-2}}</ref> Seagrasses are not only affected by water in motion; they also affect the currents, waves and turbulence environment.<ref>Koch, E.W., Ackerman, J.D., Verduin, J. and van Keulen, M. (2007) "Fluid dynamics in seagrass ecology—from molecules to ecosystems". In" ''Seagrasses: biology, ecology and conservation'', pages 193–225, Springer, Dordrecht. {{doi|10.1007/978-1-4020-2983-7_8}}.</ref> Seagrasses are also [[ecosystem engineer]]s, which means they alter the ecosystem around them, adjusting their surroundings in both physical and chemical ways.<ref name=":13"/><ref name=":03"/> The long blades of seagrasses slow the movement of water which reduces wave energy and offers further protection against [[coastal erosion]] and [[storm surge]]. Many seagrass species produce an extensive underground network of roots and [[rhizome]] which stabilizes sediment and reduces coastal erosion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Infantes |first1=Eduardo |last2=Hoeks |first2=Selwyn |date=2022|title=Seagrass roots strongly reduce cliff erosion rates in sandy sediments|journal=Marine Ecology Progress Series|volume=700|pages=1-12|doi=https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14196|url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m700p001.pdf}}</ref> Seagrasses are not only affected by water in motion; they also affect the currents, waves and turbulence environment.<ref>Koch, E.W., Ackerman, J.D., Verduin, J. and van Keulen, M. (2007) "Fluid dynamics in seagrass ecology—from molecules to ecosystems". In" ''Seagrasses: biology, ecology and conservation'', pages 193–225, Springer, Dordrecht. {{doi|10.1007/978-1-4020-2983-7_8}}.</ref>

[[File:Seagrasses prevent erosion of the seafloor.png|thumb|left| {{center|Seagrasses help trap sediment particles transported by sea currents.<ref name=Fusi2019 />}}]] [[File:Seagrasses prevent erosion of the seafloor.png|thumb|left| {{center|Seagrasses help trap sediment particles transported by sea currents.<ref name=Fusi2019 />}}]] Line 77: Line 77: [[File:Simulation of wave attenuation by quasi-flexible coastal vegetation.ogg|thumb|upright=1.3|right| {{center|Simulation of wave attenuation by quasi-flexible, seagrass-like coastal vegetation{{hsp}}<ref name="van Veelen2020">{{cite journal |doi = 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2020.103820|title = Modelling wave attenuation by quasi-flexible coastal vegetation|year = 2021|last1 = Van Veelen|first1 = Thomas J.|last2 = Karunarathna|first2 = Harshinie|last3 = Reeve|first3 = Dominic E.|journal = Coastal Engineering|volume = 164|article-number = 103820|s2cid = 229402284|doi-access = free| bibcode=2021CoasE.16403820V }} [[File:CC-BY icon.svg|50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License].</ref>}}]] [[File:Simulation of wave attenuation by quasi-flexible coastal vegetation.ogg|thumb|upright=1.3|right| {{center|Simulation of wave attenuation by quasi-flexible, seagrass-like coastal vegetation{{hsp}}<ref name="van Veelen2020">{{cite journal |doi = 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2020.103820|title = Modelling wave attenuation by quasi-flexible coastal vegetation|year = 2021|last1 = Van Veelen|first1 = Thomas J.|last2 = Karunarathna|first2 = Harshinie|last3 = Reeve|first3 = Dominic E.|journal = Coastal Engineering|volume = 164|article-number = 103820|s2cid = 229402284|doi-access = free| bibcode=2021CoasE.16403820V }} [[File:CC-BY icon.svg|50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License].</ref>}}]]

Seagrasses prevent erosion of the seafloor to the point that their presence can raise the seafloor. They contribute to coast protection by trapping rock debris transported by the sea. Seagrasses reduce erosion of the coast and protect houses and cities from both the force of the sea and from sea-level rise caused by global warming. They do this by softening the force of the waves with their leaves, and helping sediment transported in the seawater to accumulate on the seafloor. Seagrass leaves act as baffles in turbulent water that slow down water movement and encourage particulate matter to settle out. Seagrass meadows are one of the most effective barriers against erosion, because they trap sediment amongst their leaves.<ref name=Fusi2019 /> Seagrasses prevent erosion of the seafloor to the point that their presence can raise the seafloor. They contribute to coast protection by trapping rock debris transported by the sea. Seagrasses reduce erosion of the coast and protect houses and cities from both the force of the sea and from sea-level rise caused by global warming. They do this by reducing the wave energy with their leaves,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Infantes |first=E |date=2012 |title=Effect of a seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow on wave propagation |url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2012/456/m456p063.pdf |journal=Marine Ecology Progress Series |volume=456 |pages=63-72}}</ref> and helping sediment transported in the seawater to accumulate on the seafloor. Seagrass leaves and their epiphytes act as baffles in turbulent water that slow down water movement and encourage particulate matter to settle out. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barcelona |first=A |date=2023 |title=The role of epiphytes on particle capture by seagrass canopies |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141113623003665 |journal=Marine Environmental Research |volume=192106238 |issue=9 |pages=106238 |via=Elsevier Science Direct}}</ref>

Archaeologists have learned from seagrasses how to protect underwater archaeological sites, like a site in Denmark where dozens of ancient Roman and Viking shipwrecks have been discovered. The archaeologists use seagrass-like covers as sediment traps, to build up sediment so that it buries the ships. Burial creates low-oxygen conditions and keeps the wood from rotting.<ref>Gregory, D., Jensen, P. and Strætkvern, K. (2012) "Conservation and in situ preservation of wooden shipwrecks from marine environments". ''Journal of Cultural Heritage'', ''13''(3): S139–S148. {{doi|10.1016/j.culher.2012.03.005}}.</ref><ref name=Fusi2019 /> Archaeologists have learned from seagrasses how to protect underwater archaeological sites, like a site in Denmark where dozens of ancient Roman and Viking shipwrecks have been discovered. The archaeologists use seagrass-like covers as sediment traps, to build up sediment so that it buries the ships. Burial creates low-oxygen conditions and keeps the wood from rotting.<ref>Gregory, D., Jensen, P. and Strætkvern, K. (2012) "Conservation and in situ preservation of wooden shipwrecks from marine environments". ''Journal of Cultural Heritage'', ''13''(3): S139–S148. {{doi|10.1016/j.culher.2012.03.005}}.</ref><ref name=Fusi2019 />