Author(s): Tracy L. Mandel; Longhuan Zhu
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Oscillatory flow; Seagrass; Canopies; Reconfiguration; Vegetation
Abstract: Seagrasses are foundation species in marine ecosystems, providing a range of ecosystem services ranging from habitat for other organisms to coastal stabilization. Seagrass has historically been vulnerable to decline across the globe. Its health and primary productivity are particularly threatened by factors that affect light availability, such as shading by algae and epiphytes, self-shading, and increased water column turbidity (Zimmerman, 2003). Accurate assessment of light exposure and photosynthesis rates requires knowledge of the variable light environment in a seagrass canopy, which is a function of canopy characteristics (height, density), as well as how the flow causes plant reconfiguration and self-shading. In this study, we aim to answer the question: How much does flow-induced plant reconfiguration affect light availability to seagrass?
Year: 2024