The movement ecology of seagrasses

K.M. Mcmahon, K.J. Van Dijk, Leonardo Ruiz-Montoya, Gary Kendrick, Siegfried Krauss, M. Waycott, J.J. Verduin, Ryan Lowe, John Statton, Eloise Brown, Carlos Duarte

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

134 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A movement ecology framework is applied to enhance our understanding of the causes, mechanisms and consequences of movement in seagrasses: marine, clonal, flowering plants. Four life-history stages of seagrasses can move: pollen, sexual propagules, vegetative fragments and the spread of individuals through clonal growth. Movement occurs on the water surface, in the water column, on or in the sediment, via animal vectors and through spreading clones. A capacity for long-distance dispersal and demographic connectivity over multiple timeframes is the novel feature of the movement ecology of seagrasses with significant evolutionary and ecological consequences. The space–time movement footprint of different life-history stages varies. For example, the distance moved by reproductive propagules and vegetative expansion via clonal growth is similar, but the timescales range exponentially, from hours to months or centuries to millennia, respectively. Consequently, environmental factors and key traits that interact to influence movement also operate on vastly different spatial and temporal scales. Six key future research areas have been identified.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume281
Issue number1795
Early online date8 Oct 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Nov 2014

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