Chapter 24
Human Impacts on Seagrasses: Eutrophication,
Sedimentation, and Contamination
Peter J. Ralph
∗
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology,
Sydney, Westbourne St, Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
David Tomasko
Environmental Section, Resource Management Department, South West Florida Water
Management District, 2379 Broad Street Brooksville, FL34604 USA
Kenneth Moore
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Route 1208 Greate Road,
Gloucester Point, VA, USA
Stephanie Seddon
1,2
1 Environment and Ecology, South Australian Research and Development Institute
(Aquatic Sciences), PO Box 120, Henley Beach SA 5022, Australia and
2 Institute for Water
and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology, Sydney,
Westbourne St Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
Catrion `
a M. O. Macinnis-Ng
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology,
Sydney, Westbourne St Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
I. Introduction
Growth of human populations along coastal environments, as well as poor water management practices have resulted in the complete loss of seagrass
meadows (Kemp et al., 1983; Larkum and West,
1990; Short and Wyllie-Echeverria, 1996; Peters
et al., 1997). For example, the catastrophic loss of
seagrasses clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 is linked to
coastal development and associated reduction in water quality. However, it is now being recognized that
*Author for correspondence, email: peter.ralph@uts.edu.au
Contribution number 2657 for VIMS, and 203 for Institute for
Water and Enviornmental Resource Management, UTS.
seagrasses can be moderately tolerant of anthropogenic contamination and recovery of meadows is
being documented (e.g. Bricker et al., 1999; Kurz
et al., 1999; Tomasko, 2002; Walker et al., Chapter 23). Seagrasses growing in estuaries are particularly vulnerable to contamination from anthropogenic sources, more so than coastal seagrasses.
Contamination in the estuary can arise from discrete point sources (e.g. industrial waste) or diffuse
non-point contamination (e.g. catchment runoff);
whereas, seagrasses growing in shallow coastal habitats can be damaged by shipping traffic, contaminated bilge water, accidental spills, and contaminated by antifouling compounds. Generally, seagrass
loss is well documented; however, little is known
567–593.
A. W. D. Larkum et al. (eds.), Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation, pp.
c
2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
Human Impacts on Seagrasses: Eutrophication,
Sedimentation, and Contamination
Peter J. Ralph
∗
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology,
Sydney, Westbourne St, Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
David Tomasko
Environmental Section, Resource Management Department, South West Florida Water
Management District, 2379 Broad Street Brooksville, FL34604 USA
Kenneth Moore
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Route 1208 Greate Road,
Gloucester Point, VA, USA
Stephanie Seddon
1,2
1 Environment and Ecology, South Australian Research and Development Institute
(Aquatic Sciences), PO Box 120, Henley Beach SA 5022, Australia and
2 Institute for Water
and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology, Sydney,
Westbourne St Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
Catrion `
a M. O. Macinnis-Ng
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology,
Sydney, Westbourne St Gore Hill NSW 2065, Australia
I. Introduction
Growth of human populations along coastal environments, as well as poor water management practices have resulted in the complete loss of seagrass
meadows (Kemp et al., 1983; Larkum and West,
1990; Short and Wyllie-Echeverria, 1996; Peters
et al., 1997). For example, the catastrophic loss of
seagrasses clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 is linked to
coastal development and associated reduction in water quality. However, it is now being recognized that
*Author for correspondence, email: peter.ralph@uts.edu.au
Contribution number 2657 for VIMS, and 203 for Institute for
Water and Enviornmental Resource Management, UTS.
seagrasses can be moderately tolerant of anthropogenic contamination and recovery of meadows is
being documented (e.g. Bricker et al., 1999; Kurz
et al., 1999; Tomasko, 2002; Walker et al., Chapter 23). Seagrasses growing in estuaries are particularly vulnerable to contamination from anthropogenic sources, more so than coastal seagrasses.
Contamination in the estuary can arise from discrete point sources (e.g. industrial waste) or diffuse
non-point contamination (e.g. catchment runoff);
whereas, seagrasses growing in shallow coastal habitats can be damaged by shipping traffic, contaminated bilge water, accidental spills, and contaminated by antifouling compounds. Generally, seagrass
loss is well documented; however, little is known
567–593.
A. W. D. Larkum et al. (eds.), Seagrasses: Biology, Ecology and Conservation, pp.
c
2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.