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Effects of ocean acidification on single and mixed seagrass species meadows in estuarine waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Citation:
Guerrero-Meseguer, L., E. Cox, C. Sanz-Lazaro, S. Schmid, L. Enzor, K. Major, F. Gazeau, AND J. Cebrian. Effects of ocean acidification on single and mixed seagrass species meadows in estuarine waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. World International Conference and International Seagrass Biology Workshop 13, University Town, N/A, SINGAPORE, June 11 - 17, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Seagrasses can benefit from increased CO2 availability that accompanies ocean acidification (OA). However, this predicted benefit needs to be tested in a variety of coastal environments. It is also unclear how OA affects co-habiting seagrass species and their competition in mixed meadows
Description:
In an outdoor mesocosm, we tested the hypothesis that OA would benefit seagrasses in mesohaline waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico in homo- and hetero- specific seagrass beds of Halodule wrightii and Ruppia maritima. In this estuarine environment, short-term increases in CO2 availability had no clear benefit for the two seagrasses studied. There were no differences in the parameters when plants were grown in homo- or hetero- specific conditions. The environmental conditions that are frequently encountered in estuaries, such as oscillating salinity and reduced light availability, may limit the beneficial impacts of increased CO2 availability on seagrasses.