Marine and coastal plant biology

Marine and coastal plant biology examines the physiology, ecology, and distribution of photosynthetic organisms at the ocean's edge — seagrasses rooted in shallow sediments, kelp forests rising tens of meters through the water column, and the broader community of macroalgae that structure some of the sea's most productive habitats. These ecosystems support extraordinary biodiversity, buffer coastlines against erosion and storm surge, and cycle carbon at scales relevant to global climate. Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are already restructuring where these communities can persist, and a central challenge is understanding which populations carry the genetic and physiological flexibility to acclimate, and which will contract or disappear. Researchers are also working to quantify how losing or degrading marine vegetation changes the resilience of coastal systems — including their capacity to absorb disturbance and reorganize — in ways that matter for both ecology and the communities that depend on healthy shorelines.

Works

128,538

Total citations

1,732,962

Keywords

SeagrassesKelp ForestsMarine BiodiversityOcean AcidificationEcosystem ResilienceCoastal Protection