Paper| Year: | 2018 |
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| Author(s): | Pereda-Briones L., Infantes E., Orfila A., Tomas F., Terrados J |
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| Title: | Dispersal of seagrass propagules: interaction between hydrodynamics and substratum type |
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| Journal: | MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES |
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| ISSN: | 0171-8630 |
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| JCR Impact Factor: | 2.359 |
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| Volume: | 593 |
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| Issue No.: | 1 |
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| Pages: | 47-59 |
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| D.O.I.: | 10.3354/meps12518 |
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| Web: | http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v593/p47-59/ |
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| Abstract: | Waves and currents influence not only the
spatial distribution of seagrass meadows but also the transport,
establishment and survivorship of seagrass propagules and hence the
success of seagrass recruitment from sexual reproduction. We quantified
the dispersal of propagules of 3 seagrass species (Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera marina) over substrata of different complexities (sand, coarse gravel and P. oceanica mattes of different shoot abundances) under unidirectional flow in a hydraulic flume. Threshold velocities indicate that Z. marina seeds start to move earlier over a flat sandy bottom (14 cm s-1) than seeds of P. oceanica (20 cm s-1) and C. nodosa (21 cm s-1).
Propagule trapping increased with bottom complexity, which was related
to the flow reduction that each substratum generated and the boundary
layer thickness. Trapping rates were higher in coarse gravel and in
mattes with higher abundances of dead shoots, where flow was reduced
more than 50%. Over sand, flow reduction was minimal and propagules were
not trapped. Furthermore, notable differences between P. oceanica
early life stages were observed, with seeds trapped first, followed by
seedlings of increasing ages. This result may be related to the smaller
frontal area (area exposed to water flow) and higher settling velocity
of the younger life stages. Together, our results provide important
insights into the drivers of seagrass recruitment, which are of interest
for restoration purposes and numerical modelling.
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Related staffAlejandro Orfila FörsterFiona Tomas NashJorge Terrados MuñozRelated departmentsMarine EcologyOceanography and Global ChangeRelated projectsRESIGRASS (186)POSIPLANTRelated research groupsMarine Technologies, Operational and Coastal Oceanography
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