A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals concern for coastal grasses around the world. Costal grasses are essential for coastal ecosystems as they provide not only habitat but also reduce the damage done by sediment and nutrient pollution.
According to researchers, 58 percent of coastal grasses are in decline. Since 1990, seven percent of coastal grasses are lost per year. The losses are attributed to coastal development and water quality reduction. Dredging is also considered a cause of the decline.
Co-author of the study, William Dennison from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, stated: “The combination of growing urban centers, artificially hardened shorelines and declining natural resources has pushed coastal ecosystems out of balance. Globally, we lose a seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field every thirty minutes.”
Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Robert Orth stated: “With the loss of each meadow, we also lose the ecosystem services they provide to the fish and shellfish relying on these areas for nursery habitat. The consequences of continuing losses also extend far beyond the areas where seagrasses grow, as they export energy in the form of biomass and animals to other ecosystems including marshes and coral reefs.”
