Guided Review – Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
SAV-ing Our Ocean: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation and Seagrass
Overview:
In this guided review, you will learn about submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and its impact on the environment, including the organisms they sustain. In the following resources, you will find information about SAV, the unique ecosystem they create, the other benefits they provide, and why it is vital to protect this essential habitat.
Objectives:
- Define and describe what SAV and seagrasses are.
- Investigate why SAV and seagrasses are important.
- Identify the causes of SAV and seagrass loss.
- Explore SAV and seagrass conservation and restoration efforts.
Overview:
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are plants growing completely submerged in water. Seagrasses are a type of SAV that grows in fully marine (salty) waters. There are numerous different species of SAV and they all have important roles in the benthic (underwater) ecosystems where they exist, whether they are freshwater, marine, or somewhere in between. In the following resources you will learn about the different kinds of SAV and what exactly they are.
Objective:
Define and describe what SAV and seagrasses are.
Read:
Article: Florida Seagrasses
The article published by Florida Department of Environmental Protection describes some of the more common seagrasses found along the Florida Coast, as well as their contributions to the environment. Some of these same species are also found along the Chandeleur Islands of the Louisiana Coast. Reflect on the following questions.
- What seagrass species are discussed in the article?
- What are the four significant functions of seagrasses from the article?
Guide: Seagrass guide: what is it and why is it so important?
This article from BBC Wildlife Magazine further examines the numerous benefits that healthy SAV and seagrass beds provide and where they are found. Reflect on the following question
- In what oceans can seagrasses be found?
- How do seagrasses help clean our oceans?
Watch:
Video RT (2:51): “Seagrass: Life in the Underwater Meadows”
This video by Hakai Institute helps bring awareness to the seagrass species that are being lost due to habitat degradation.
- About how many other species can be found in an area of seagrass the size of a basketball?
- What are researchers doing to establish a baseline understanding of seagrass habitats?
Webinar RT (22:00): “Seagrass Ecosystem Webinar”
This Webinar from International Field Studies, Inc. provides more context related to what seagrasses are, the types of habitats they create, the benefits they provide, and restoration methods to stem their loss. Reflect on the following questions.
- What are the different morphological parts of seagrasses?
- What are the differences between seagrass and algae?
- What different restoration techniques are discussed?
Explore:
Deep Dive Webinar RT (43:46):"Cool Seas Webinar 6: Whats so Special about Seagrass?"
This webinar produced by Marine Conservation Society introduces a UK based society whose mission is to conserve the world's seagrasses and find solutions for seagrass restoration.
- How does the MCSUK plan on repairing degraded seagrass?
- What kind of protection does the seagrass show in the demonstration?
- What are some examples of this that occur naturally?
Louisiana SAV and seagrasses (ppt): Louisiana SAV and Algae
This powerpoint lists and describes the most common Louisiana SAV and seagrasses (and algae) and where they can be found. It is a quick reference guide.
- What are 2 common freshwater SAV species?
- What 2 species are often confused with each other?
- Which species is found along the estuarine gradient?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
Juvenile largemouth bass in submerged aquatic vegetation. Photo by Steve Luell
Overview:
SAV and seagrasses play an important role in Louisiana, and the world’s aquatic ecosystems. They provide food, refuge and habitat for other critical species, clean water and store carbon in soils and protect our shorelines. The following resources aim to describe the processes and attributes that make SAV and seagrass so important.
Objective: Investigate why SAV and seagrasses are so important.
Read:
Article: "In the Chesapeake Bay, saving seagrasses can fight ocean acidification"
This article by National Geographic explains that when SAV and seagrasses photosynthesize (take up CO2 from the water) the byproduct of this process increases the pH of the water - making it less acidic. Reflect on the following questions.
- What caused the acidification of the Chesapeake Bay? How do SAV and seagrass help?
- What could further the restoration of the bay and the surrounding waters?
Article: "Fish Communities Submerged Aquatic Vegetation"
In this article by the Fish Habitat Section of the American Fisheries Society,you will read about how SAV benefits the aquatic ecosystem and its inhabitants. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why is species richness higher in SAV beds than in open waters?
- What could decrease SAV degradation?
Watch:
Video: RT (12:07) : "The unexpected, underwater plant fighting climate change "
This video from TED explains how seagrasses are able to turn the tide in the fight against climate change. Reflect on the following questions
- How much carbon are seagrasses responsible for removing from the sea floor?
- How is this carbon stored by the seagrasses?
Video: RT (21:25) “Lake Pontchartrain Grass Bed Trout”
In this video, Jon Miller shares his views of SAV in our area of southeast Louisiana, using his fishing experiences and others’ works to determine the benefits of SAV in Lake Pontchartrain. Reflect on the following questions.
- Where was the highest SAV species diversity found? Why do you think this is?
- How can SAV occurrence over large areas be predicted?
- Why is SAV only abundant in certain areas of Lake Pontchartrain?
Explore:
In this article, E.R. Hillmann et al, delve deeper into the science behind carbon storage in SAV and seagrass habitat soils. Reflect on the following questions.
- How does carbon storage in SAV habitat soils compare to seagrass habitat soils?
- Is this information important to better understanding our global carbon budget in coastal areas?
Watch: RT (26:47): “Seagrasses and Mangroves - Full Episode”
This video from, Changing Seas, describes the important role seagrasses have to support ecosystem stability and how seagrasses and Mangroves work together to do this. Reflect on the following questions.
- How do Mangroves and seagrasses both support ecosystem stability?
- What other technologies could be implemented to further our understanding of seagrass importance?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
SAV growing in shallow water near Havre de Grace, MD. Credit: Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program
Overview: The species of our oceans and estuaries have been supported by SAV and seagrasses for a millennia. However, since the settlement of coastal areas began, SAV and seagrasses have been on the decline because urbanization and development destroys the natural environment, increases wave action, muddies the water, and limits light penetrating the water and reaching the underwater plants. In the following resources, you will learn about the ways that humans and climate change have contributed to the decline of SAV and seagrasses.
Objective:
Identify the causes of SAV and seagrass loss.
Read:
Article: "A Global Crisis for Seagrass Ecosystems"
This article from BioScienceMag reflects on the different stressors and causes of seagrasses and seagrass ecosystem decline. Reflect on the following questions.
- What are some stressors that have affected SAV and seagrasses? What is the biggest contributing stressor to the decline of seagrasses?
- Do you think there is enough evidence to support these claims? How else could individuals raise awareness of the major loss of these ecosystems?
This article by ScienceDirect discusses SAV and seagrass protection and monitoring needs. Reflect on the following questions.
- How could we better protect our seagrasses from the different types of pressures? If you were constructing a management plan, what kinds of pressures would you include?
- What is DAPSIR? How has it helped in the protection of seagrasses?
Watch:
Video: RT (7:58): "Ecosystems on the Edge: Underwater Light and Seagrass"
This video from Smithsonian Environmental Research Center explains how water pollution contributes to the decline of SAV and seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay; similar activities impact SAV and seagrass in the Pontchartrain Estuary. Reflect on the following questions.
- What are SAV and seagrasses an indicator of?
- What are the factors preventing the light reaching the seagrasses?
Video: RT (6:21): "Discovering the Chesapeake with Walter Boynton"
This video by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science describes the different contributing factors that are responsible for the declining seagrass population in the Chesapeake bay. Reflect on the following questions.
- What were the original causes thought to contribute to SAV and seagrass decline? What were the most likely causes after the studies were conducted?
- What are epiphytes and phytoplankton? How do they contribute to SAV and seagrasses dying off? ?
Explore:
Podcast: RT (44:53): The Truth About Seagrass Kill Off
This podcast with Salt Strong provides a deeper discussion of the factors killing off seagrass meadows in Florida, and around the world. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why is water clarity so important for SAV and seagrass? How does water quality affect the water clarity?
- What kind of human influences affect SAV and seagrasses? What kind of chemical runoffs are affecting Tampa Bay?
- What are the limitations of seagrass growth?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
Seagrass beds off Virginia’s Eastern Shore went from barren sediment to abundant meadows in 20 years in the world’s largest restoration project. Photo by: Jay Fleming
Overview:
We have already discussed how important the SAV and seagrass ecosystem are AND that they are in decline. However, there are opportunities to conserve, preserve and restore these essential habitats. The following resources showcase examples of restoration of SAV and seagrass meadows we have lost, and how to conserve what we have
Objective:
Explore the conservation and restoration efforts focused on SAV and seagrass ecosystems
Read:
Article: "Long-term performance of seagrass restoration projects in Florida, USA"
This article by Nature describes short and long term restoration projects in Florida, USA and their results. Overall, 88% of restoration projects continue to support SAV and seagrass. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why is seagrass diversity an important factor? How does diversity affect community composition?
- Why is it important to study restoration projects over long periods of time?
Article: "How planting 70 million eelgrass seeds led to an ecosystem's rapid recovery"
This article from Science News describes results from a long term SAV and seagrass restoration project in the Chesapeake Bay. To date the project has restored more than 3,5000 hectares of Eelgrass. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why is measuring the amount of carbon and nitrogen being stored by certain seagrass meadows a good measure of community health?
- How are researchers restoring Eelgrass in the Chesapeake Bay?
Watch:
Video: RT (9:15): "SAV: Restoring our Underwater Prairies"
This video by the VA Institute of Marine Science shows how SAV and seagrass is being restored in the Chesapeake Bay area. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why do the researchers spread the SAV and seagrass seeds at a specific time of the year?
- What important information is revealed via this method?
Video : RT (6:04) "Seychelles Successful Campaign to Protect its Seagrass"
This video from The Pew shares a story of SAV and seagrass education, monitoring, mapping and conservation in the Seychelles. Reflect on the following questions.
- What is the most important information to know about seagrass in order to protect it?
- What other information is gained from knowing where it grows?
- Why is it important to get the community involved in the preservation of SAV and seagrass?
- How does mapping SAV and seagrass help support restoration and conservation?
Explore:
Webinar: RT(1:18:58): Seagrass Restoration Research in the Indian River Lagoon
This webinar by the Florida Oceanographic Society focuses on research conducted in the Indian River Lagoon related to the restoration of SAV and seagrass communities. Reflect on the following questions.
- What are some factors to consider when planning a restoration project?
- What is the biggest tool for restoring seagrasses? Why?
- What are some interesting takeaways from co-planting clams with seagrasses
Webinar: RT(1:04:54): Mitigation And Building Resilience Through Kelp and Seagrass
This webinar from OA Alliance showcases a variety of coastal restoration projects dedicated to SAV and seagrasses and how they combat ocean acidification. Reflect on the following questions.
- Why is combatting ocean and coastal acidification important? How do SAV and seagrass help in the fight?
- Which presentation did you find most interesting? Why?
Click here to complete the quiz for this module.
What questions do you still have? Where could you find out more?
