Wax and wane of eelgrass Zostera marina and water column silicon levels

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 144:303-307 (1996) - doi:10.3354/meps144303 Wax and wane of eelgrass Zostera marina and water column silicon levels Herman PMJ, Hemminga MA, Nienhuis PH, Verschuure JM, Wessel EGJ Long-term observations in an enclosed estuarine branch in The Netherlands showed a remarkably strong correlation between water column levels of dissolved silicon (DSi) and standing stock of eelgrass Zostera marina. Si levels in the leaves of Z. marina varied between 0.02 and 0.66% of tissue dry weight; they were lower in the declining population than in other populations in neighbouring areas. We hypothesize that decreased concentrations of DSi, which may coincide with eutrophication of coastal waters, may be a factor in the worldwide decline of estuarine eelgrass populations whose significance has so far been ignored. Seagrass · Eutrophication · Silicate · Coastal · Estuaries · Nutrients Full text in pdf format PreviousExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 144. Publication date: December 05, 1996 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1996 Inter-Research.