Distribution, structure and function of Nordic eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems: Implications for coastal management and conservation
- Boström, Christoffer
- Baden, Susanne
- Bockelmann, Anna-Christina
- Dromph, Karsten
- Fredriksen, Stein
- Gustafsson, Camilla
- Krause-Jensen, Dorte
- Möller, Tiia
- Nielsen, Søren Laurentius
- Olesen, Birgit
- Olsen, Jeanine
- Pihl, Leif
- Rinde, Eli
DOIAbstract
1. This paper focuses on the marine foundation eelgrass species, Zostera marina, along a gradient from the northern Baltic Sea to the north-east Atlantic. This vast region supports a minimum of 1480km 2 eelgrass (maximum > 2100km 2), which corresponds to more than four times the previously quantified area of eelgrass in Western Europe. 2. Eelgrass meadows in the low salinity Baltic Sea support the highest diversity (4 – 6 spp.) of angiosperms overall, but eelgrass productivity is low (<2g dw m-2 d-1) and meadows are isolated and genetically impoverished. Higher salinity areas support monospecific meadows, with higher productivity (3 – 10g dw m-2d-1) and greater genetic connectivity. The salinity gradient further imposes functional differenc...
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