Original title: Evidence of Seagrass-Saltmarsh Connectivity, and their Role in Coastal Seascapes – a Review
Seagrass beds and saltmarshes can sit near each other, but researchers have often studied them separately. This review gathered evidence about how the habitats affect one another, including through the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pollutants. It identified ten interactions in six areas, including carbon storage and habitat for animals. The effects can be helpful or harmful, and can vary with place and time.
Imagine two neighbours sharing a garden fence. Leaves, water, and even unwanted rubbish can pass from one yard to the other, changing what grows in each. In this paper, the yards are seagrass beds and saltmarshes, and what passes between them can help or harm both habitats over time.
Coastal planners and ecologists may miss important effects if they manage seagrass beds and saltmarshes as separate habitats. Their interactions can help or harm each habitat, and can shape coastal change from local processes to changes across a whole seascape.
The review identifies evidence of connectivity, but the abstract does not establish how common each interaction is or how large its effects are. It notes that impacts vary across places and times. The findings come from a semi-systematic review of published papers, rather than a single test of the habitats.
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Evidence of Seagrass-Saltmarsh Connectivity, and their Role in Coastal Seascapes – a Review — Kevin O’Leary, Iris Möller — Estuaries and Coasts — doi:10.1007/s12237-026-01825-z
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.