Selection of parameters for seagrass management: Towards the development of integrated indicators for French Antilles

Selection of parameters for seagrass management: Towards the development of integrated indicators for French Antilles

Seagrass beds are increasingly impacted by human activities in coastal areas, particularly in tropical regions. The objective of this research program was to study seagrass beds characteristics under various environmental conditions in the French Antilles (FA, Caribbean Sea). A total of 61 parameter...

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Published in:Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 170; p. 112646
Main Authors: Kerninon, Fanny, Payri, Claude E., Le Loc'h, François, Alcoverro, Teresa, Maréchal, Jean-Philippe, Chalifour, Julien, Gréaux, Sébastien, Mège, Simone, Athanase, Julien, Cordonnier, Sébastien, Rouget, Marie-Laure, Lorre, Elise, Uboldi, Thomas, Monnier, Olivier, Hellio, Claire
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2021
Elsevier BV
Subjects:
Anthropogenic factors
Biological indicators
Caribbean Sea
Coastal zone
Ecological status
Environmental conditions
Human influences
Indicators
Management
Monitoring
Nutrients
Parameter identification
Parameters
Plant physiology
Pressure-impact relationship
Public policy
Research programmes
Sea grasses
Seagrass
Trace metals
Tropical climate
Tropical environment
Tropical environments
French West Indies
Seagrass
Management
Caribbean Sea
Pressure-impact relationship
Biological indicators
Ecological status
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Summary:Seagrass beds are increasingly impacted by human activities in coastal areas, particularly in tropical regions. The objective of this research program was to study seagrass beds characteristics under various environmental conditions in the French Antilles (FA, Caribbean Sea). A total of 61 parameters, from plant physiology to seagrass ecosystem, were tested along a gradient of anthropogenic conditions, distributed across 11 sites and 3 islands of the FA. A selection of 7 parameters was identified as relevant for the monitoring of seagrass meadows in the framework of public policies. They combined “early warning indicators” (e.g. nutrients and some trace metals) and long-term responding parameters (e.g. shoot density) adapted to management time scales. The ecological status of seagrass meadows was evaluated using a PCA. This work is a first step towards monitoring and management of seagrass meadows in the FA. •A panel of seagrass meadows descriptors were studied along a gradient of anthropogenic conditions in Caribbean region.•Bioindication capacity of two native seagrass species has been confirmed.•The most relevant parameters for monitoring local seagrass beds health and water quality were identified.•An ecological status of the seagrass meadows was provided using a multimetric approach.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112646