M1.1 Seagrass meadows

M1. Marine shelf biome

M1

Profile summary

Full profile at https://global-ecosystems.org/explore/groups/M1.1

Brief description

These shallow, subtidal systems are the only marine ecosystems with an abundance of flowering plants. They are typically found mostly on soft, sandy or muddy substrates around relatively sheltered coastlines. Extent is limited in the shallows by wave action and tidal exposure, and at depth by light availability. Productive ecosystems, their three-dimensional structure provides shelter for juvenile fish, invertebrates and epiphytic algae. Diverse organisms live in and around seagrass beds including many grazers, from tiny invertebrates to megafauna such as dugongs.

Key features

Soft, mostly subtidal substrates in low-energy waters with abundant vascular macrophytes, associated epibiota, infauna and fish.

Overview of distribution

Shallow tropical- temperate nearshore waters.

Map description

Indicative maps of Seagrass meadows were obtained from UNEP-WCMC & Short (2017) based on Green & Short (2003). Occurrences were converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution..

Map code and version: M1.1.web.orig v1.0. DOI

Version history

Profile versions

  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): MJ Bishop; AH Altieri; SN Porter; RJ Orth; DA Keith.1
  • v2.01 (NA): NA.
  • v2.0 (2020-05-27): MJ Bishop; AH Altieri; SN Porter; RJ Orth; DA Keith.
  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): .

Available maps

Read more details about the current map versions here.

  • Indicative Map (code: M1.1.IM.orig, version v1.0)
  • Web navigation (code: M1.1.web.orig, version v1.0)

Read more details about older or alternative versions of maps for this functional group.

  • Web navigation: in preparation (code: M1.1.WM.nwx, version v1.0)

References

Main references

References used in the different versions of the profiles.

  • De Boer WF (2007) Seagrass–sediment interactions, positive feedbacks and critical thresholds for occurrence: a review Hydrobiologia 591: 5-24 DOI:10.1007/s10750-007-0780-9
  • Larkum WD, Orth RJ, Duarte CM (2006) Seagrasses: biology, ecology and conservation (Springer:  The Netherlands)
  • Orth RJ, Carruthers TJ, Dennison WC, Duarte CM, Fourqurean JW, Heck KL, Hughes AR, Kendrick GA, Kenworthy WJ, Olyarnik S, Short F (2006) A global crisis for seagrass ecosystems. Bioscience 56: 987-996.
  • Van der Heide T, Govers LL, De FouwJ, Olff H, van der Geest M, van Katwijk MM, Piersma T, van de Koppe Jl, Silliman BR, Smolders AJP, van Gils JA (2012) A three-stage symbiosis forms the foundation of seagrass ecosystems Science 336,1432-1434

Map references

References used in the different versions of the maps (current and discarded).

  • Green EP, Short FT (2003) World atlas of seagrasses World atlas of seagrasses UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. University of California Press, Berkeley. Available on-line at WCMC, Internet Archive or BHL
  • Jayathilake D.R.M., Costello M.J. (2018) A modelled global distribution of the seagrass biome Biological Conservation DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.07.009

Footnotes

  1. This is the current version available at official site.↩︎