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CARBON, NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND HEAVY METAL BUDGETS: HOW LARGE IS THE EELGRASS (ZOSTERA MARINA L.) SINK IN A TEMPERATE ESTUARY?
Citation:
KALDY, III, J. E. CARBON, NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND HEAVY METAL BUDGETS: HOW LARGE IS THE EELGRASS (ZOSTERA MARINA L.) SINK IN A TEMPERATE ESTUARY? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 52:342-356, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
Seagrasses are often heralded as sentinel or indicator species because they are long-lived and integrate biological, physical and chemical parameters (Schlacher-Hoenlinger and Schlacher, 1998; Hoven et al., 1999; Pergent-Martini and Pergent, 2000).
Description:
Seagrasses are often heralded as sentinel or indicator species because they are long-lived and integrate biological, physical and chemical parameters (Schlacher-Hoenlinger and Schlacher, 1998; Hoven et al., 1999; Pergent-Martini and Pergent, 2000). Several studies have shown that trace metals can have a negative impact on seagrass photosynthetic physiology (Prange and Dennison, 2000; Macinnis- Ng and Ralph, 2002, 2004). The concentration of metals in seagrass tissues has been the focus of many studies, particularly Posidonia spp. and Zostera spp. in Europe and Australia (e.g. Baroli et al., 2001; Dumon et al., 1994; Guven et al., 1993; Lyngby and Brix, 1983; Malea and Haritonidis, 1995; Pergent-Martini and Pergent, 2000; Romeo et al., 1995; Schlacher-Hoenlinger and Schlacher, 1998; Wasserman et al., 1991, 1992; Wasserman and Lavaax, 1991; Prange and Dennison, 2000; Macinnis-Ng and Ralph, 2002, 2004). Although the biology and ecology of Zostera marina is well studied in the United States there has been very little attention paid to metals concentrations in seagrass; although Hoven et al. (1999) measured the concentration and stable isotope ratio of Pb in Z. marina from Great Bay, New Hampshire, USA.