Marine and coastal plant biology

Marine and coastal plant biology examines how rooted plants like seagrasses and large algae such as kelp and other macroalgae grow, compete, and function within ocean and nearshore environments. These organisms underpin some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, sheltering fish, cycling nutrients, and buffering shorelines against wave erosion — services that are increasingly threatened as rising ocean temperatures and acidification alter where and how well these species can survive. Researchers are working to understand which communities are resilient enough to persist under rapid environmental change and which are approaching tipping points from which recovery becomes unlikely. A central open question is how the global distribution of marine vegetation will shift over coming decades, and whether managed interventions like restoration planting can keep pace with the losses already underway.

Works

129,867

Total citations

1,745,548

Keywords

SeagrassesKelp ForestsMarine BiodiversityOcean AcidificationEcosystem ResilienceCoastal Protection