Do adult eelgrass shoots rule seedling fate in a large seagrass meadow in a eutrophic bay in northern China?

Shaochun Xu; Shuai Xu; Yi Zhou; Shidong Yue; Xiaomei Zhang; Ruiting Gu; Yu Zhang; Yongliang Qiao; Mingjie Liu; Yunling Zhang; Zhenhai Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113499

Do adult eelgrass shoots rule seedling fate in a large seagrass meadow in a eutrophic bay in northern China?

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 May:178:113499. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113499. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Authors

Shaochun Xu¹, Shuai Xu¹, Yi Zhou², Shidong Yue¹, Xiaomei Zhang³, Ruiting Gu¹, Yu Zhang¹, Yongliang Qiao⁴, Mingjie Liu¹, Yunling Zhang⁵, Zhenhai Zhang⁵

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; CAS Engineering Laboratory for Marine Ranching, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; CAS Engineering Laboratory for Marine Ranching, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Qingdao 266071, China. Electronic address: yizhou@qdio.ac.cn.
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; CAS Engineering Laboratory for Marine Ranching, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
⁵ Hebei Provincial Technology Innovation Center for Coastal Ecology Rehabilitation, Tangshan 063610, China.

PMID: 35398686
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113499

Abstract

We conducted field sampling over 19 months to investigate eelgrass population reproduction status and ecological interactions in a large seagrass meadow in a eutrophic bay in northern China. The results showed asexual growth played an important role in the maintenance of existing meadows, and sexual reproduction played a critical role in the colonization of new areas. We conclude that adult eelgrass shoots do rule the fate of seedlings in the large seagrass meadow. Additionally, nutrient resources (N and P) at this location were found to meet eelgrass growth demand. The N/P ratios of seawater and seagrass indicated N limitation relative to P in the eutrophic bay based on the seagrass Redfield ratio (25-30). Nutrient uptake by seagrass might be an important factor in reducing the probability of a red tide in the study area. The results of this study provide fundamental information for eelgrass restoration and conservation.

Keywords: Eutrophic bay; Population reproduction; Seagrass Redfield ratio; Zostera marina L..

MeSH terms

Bays*
China
Seawater
Seedlings*