coastal ecosystems – Aquarius-Systems

Salt Marshes Help Protect Coastal Communities From Flooding and Storm Surge

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:08:30 +0000

A group of military and government leaders has endorsed an initiative to protect the one million acres of salt marsh that stretches from North Carolina down to northeast Florida.

Salt marshes are sinewy channels of coastal grasslands known for their ability to protect coasts from flooding and storm surge during heavy rain events and hurricanes. Healthy salt marshes can significantly improve coastal ecosystem and community resilience.

According to NOAA, salt marshes soak up excess floodwaters and wave energy during storms, and can mitigate property damage by up to 20%.

Seagrass Meadows Improve Water Quality and May Help Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:37:03 +0000

Seagrass meadows are widespread in shallow coastal waters and are involved in trapping and binding sediment particles that form the seabed. These seagrass meadows also provide important ecosystem services and benefits, such as water quality improvement; CO2 absorption; climate change mitigation; sediment production for seafloor and beach stabilization; coastal protection; nursery and refuge areas for many species, and support in fisheries production.

Research team’s findings also suggest that seagrass meadows may help counteract marine plastic pollution. As previous research found that seagrass areas in the Mediterranean Sea have decreased by up to 50 per cent since 1960, seagrass meadow conservation should remain a priority, according to the authors.

Read More https://eandt.theiet.org/2021/01/15/seagrass-meadows-could-help-remove-plastic-oceans

Seagrass and Kelp Can Help Reduce Ocean Acidification by Absorbing Carbon Dioxide

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 15:34:59 +0000

Our carbon dioxide emissions are making the oceans more acidic. As we pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a portion dissolves into the world’s oceans. Once there, the carbon dioxide goes through a series of chemical changes that have an acidifying effect on seawater.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and through photosynthesis. Underwater vegetation, like seagrass meadows and kelp forests, photosynthesize like their land-based relatives. In the process, this aquatic vegetation removes some of the excess carbon dioxide in the surrounding seawater that causes ocean acidification.

Read More https://www.forbes.com/sites/allenelizabeth/2021/04/12/scientists-find-underwater-plants-can-combat-ocean-acidification/?sh=6c9c6e6f5875

How Ballast Water and Aquariums Spread Invasive Species

Sat, 30 Sep 2017 20:01:07 +0000

According to a Fish and Wildlife study, almost 80 percent of non-native species found on the West Coast were first sighted in California.

You might have heard about ballast water. Cargo ships fill their holds with seawater to stay balanced, but that water can also carry invasive species.

Since 1999, ships have been required to either retain ballast water or discharge this water at least 200 nautical miles away from shore — and over 90 percent of them do.

But invasives remain a problem well beyond the ports. Researchers say recreational boating also plays a part. Small vessels can spread around species that have been introduced by cargo ships.

There’s another less-obvious way invasive species gets introduced —and it’s cost California millions of dollars.

After “Finding Nemo” was released, people started flushing fish and plants down the drain, or taking them to the ocean and dumping them in. It led to a pulse of invasion around the country.

A study from UC Davis found that aquariums contribute to a third of the world’s worst aquatic and invasive species.