Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services

Authors

Robert J. Orth, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Jonathan S. Lefcheck
Karen S. McGlathery
Lillian Aoki
Mark Luckenbach, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Kenneth A. Moore, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Matthew P.J. Oreska
Richard A. Snyder, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
David J. Wilcox, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Bo Lusk

Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

10-7-2020

Journal

Science Advances

Volume

6

First Page

eabc6434

Abstract

There have been increasing attempts to reverse habitat degradation through active restoration, but few largescale successes are reported to guide these efforts. Here, we report outcomes from a unique and very successful seagrass restoration project: Since 1999, over 70 million seeds of a marine angiosperm, eelgrass (Zostera marina), have been broadcast into mid-western Atlantic coastal lagoons, leading to recovery of 3612 ha of seagrass. Well-developed meadows now foster productive and diverse animal communities, sequester substantial stocks of carbon and nitrogen, and have prompted a parallel restoration for bay scallops (Argopecten irradians). Restored ecosystem services are approaching historic levels, but we also note that managers value services differently today than they did nine decades ago, emphasizing regulating in addition to provisioning services. Thus, this study serves as a blueprint for restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems to safeguard multiple benefits, including co-benefits that may emerge as management priorities over time.

DOI

doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6434

Keywords

Seagrass restoration, Chesapeake Bay, mid-Atlantic

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Orth, Robert J.; Lefcheck, Jonathan S.; McGlathery, Karen S.; Aoki, Lillian; Luckenbach, Mark; Moore, Kenneth A.; Oreska, Matthew P.J.; Snyder, Richard A.; Wilcox, David J.; and Lusk, Bo, Restoration of seagrass habitat leads to rapid recovery of coastal ecosystem services (2020). Science Advances, 6, eabc6434.

doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6434