Temperature drives seagrass recovery across the Western North Atlantic
Author:
Smulders Fee O. H.ORCID, Campbell Justin E., Altieri Andrew H., Armitage Anna R., Bakker Elisabeth S., Barry Savanna C., Becker S. Tatiana, Bethel Enrique, Douglass James G., van Duijnhoven Hannah J., de Fouw Jimmy, Frazer Thomas K., Glazner Rachael, Goeke Janelle A., Gort Gerrit, Heck Kenneth L., Kramer Olivier A. A., van de Leemput Ingrid A., Manuel Sarah A., Martin Charles W., Martinez López Isis G., McDonald Ashley M., Munson Calvin J., O’Shea Owen R., Paul Valerie J., Reynolds Laura K., Rhoades O. Kennedy, Rodriguez Bravo Lucia M., Sang Amanda, Sawall Yvonne, Smith Khalil, Thompson Jamie E., van Tussenbroek Brigitta, Wied William L., Christianen Marjolijn J. A.
Abstract
AbstractClimate-driven shifts in herbivores, temperature and nutrient runoff threaten coastal ecosystem resilience. However, our understanding of ecological resilience, particularly for foundation species, remains limited due to a rarity of field experiments that are conducted across appropriate spatial and temporal scales and that investigate multiple stressors. This study aimed to evaluate the resilience of a widespread tropical marine plant (turtlegrass) to disturbances across its geographic range and how this is impacted by environmental gradients in (a)biotic factors. We assessed the resilience (i.e. recovery) of turtlegrass to a simulated disturbance (complete above- and belowground biomass removal) over a year. Contrary to temperate studies, higher temperature generally enhanced seagrass recovery. While nutrients and light availability had minimal impact, combined high levels of nutrients and herbivore grazing (meso and megaherbivore) reduced aboveground recovery. Our results suggest that the resilience of some tropical species, especially in cooler subtropical waters, may initially increase with warming.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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