Habitat suitability modelling to improve understanding of seagrass loss and recovery and to guide decisions in relation to coastal discharge.
Mar Pollut Bull
; 186: 114370, 2023 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36459773
ABSTRACT
Habitat suitability modelling was used to test the relationship between coastal discharges and seagrass occurrence based on data from Adelaide (South Australia). Seven variables (benthic light including epiphyte shading, temperature, salinity, substrate, wave exposure, currents and tidal exposure) were simulated using a coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model and interrogated against literature-derived thresholds for nine local seagrass species. Light availability was the most critical driver across the study area but wave exposure played a key role in shallow nearshore areas. Model validation against seagrass mapping data showed 86 % goodness-of-fit. Comparison against later mapping data suggested that modelling could predict ~745 ha of seagrass recovery in areas previously classified as 'false positives'. These results suggest that habitat suitability modelling is reliable to test scenarios and predict seagrass response to reduction of land-based loads, providing a useful tool to guide (investment) decisions to prevent loss and promote recovery of seagrasses.
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Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ecossistema
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
País/Região como assunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mar Pollut Bull
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article