The dire state of seagrass.
Seagrass meadows around the world are in dire shape, according to the first comprehensive global assessment of these economically and biologically essential areas.
More than a quarter of all seagrass meadows have disappeared in the past 130 years, says a new synthesis of quantitative data from 215 sites (M. Waycott et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0905620106; 2009). The rate of decline has grown from less than 1% per year before 1940, to 7% per year since 1990.
As well as supporting wildlife such as dugong (Dugong dugon, pictured) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas), seagrass meadows also serve as a vital nursery for fish, supporting populations for coral reefs and commercial fisheries.
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Cressey, D. Snapshot: Vanishing meadows. Nature 460, 17 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/460017b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/460017b