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EFFECTS OF CHRONIC LIGHT REDUCTION ON THALASSIA TESTUDINUM AT STATIONS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO
Citation:
Zieman, J. C. EFFECTS OF CHRONIC LIGHT REDUCTION ON THALASSIA TESTUDINUM AT STATIONS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/540/R-12/001, 1997.
Impact/Purpose:
This research approach utilized two related hypotheses of seagrass death following light stress: negative carbon balance and sulfide toxicity.
Description:
For several decades, the role and importance of seagrasses as habitat and as a trophic source, whether grazed directly, consumed as detritus, or acting as a means of support for epiphytic algae, has been increasingly well-documented in the coastal zones of the world. However, the environmental factors that influence the development and overall health of seagrass communities are much less well understood. While we know that acute, dramatic reductions in light levels have a negative effect on the growth and survival of seagrasses, there is limited information on the responses of these plants to lesser but chronic light reductions associated with phenomena such as persistent phytoplankton blooms and increased sediment loads. Thalassia testudinum is one of the most important seagrass species along the coasts of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and is the subject of this study. This research was undertaken as a multi-site study specifically addressing chronic light reduction and the responses of the seagrass community to this stress. This project was a response to the Coastal Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Initiative RFP, where the overall objective was to determine the response of seagrass communities to reduced levels of incoming light.