Loss of seagrass results in changes to benthic infaunal community structure and decreased secondary production

• DOI: 10.5343/bms.2017.1011
• Publication Date: 2018-03-31T01:05:50Z
• Authors: Rochelle D Seitz; Carolyn J Ewers L...
• Keywords: Zostera marina; Thalassia testudinum; Benthos

Seagrass beds have decreased in abundance and areal coverage over the past several decades. Although previous studies examined importance of seagrass for benthic community assemblages abundances, effect on deep-dwelling, large (high-biomass) infauna secondary production Chesapeake Bay not been addressed. Using suctions push cores, we compared density, diversity, productivity communities to those other shallow-water habitats estimated lost York River due loss from 1971 2016. We four habitat types River: unvegetated, Gracilaria spp., mixed (multiple species), Zostera marina L. seagrass. Physical characteristics biomass organisms were assessed, annual was calculated using production-to-biomass ratios. Benthic productivity, sedimentary chlorophyll a, percent sand all highest with Z. alone. Approximately 35% or 1.51 × 108 g C yr–1, 1971–2016 unvegetated substrate. The time associated decrease that could negative consequences epibenthic predators. Our data emphasize conservation restoration