Valuing the ecosystem services of subtidal seagrass meadows

Marine Conservation Research Group
Ecosystem services of subtidal seagrass meadows
 
 
 
 
Seagrass populations are declining globally and are believed to have declined by up to 92% within the UK over the last century. Yet this habitat is one of the most productive on earth, and is considered critical for supporting both fisheries and coastal biodiversity. Providing shelter and protection from predators, as well as food resources, seagrass meadows serve as essential nurseries to a wide range of juvenile fish and invertebrates, many of which are commercially valuable.
Seagrass meadows, therefore, hold high ecological and socioeconomic value, supporting both commercial and recreational fisheries. But ongoing declines in seagrass populations, along with rapid habitat loss, may pose a significant threat to national food security. Despite this, there is still a great deal of uncertainty regarding the diversity and abundance of fish species associated with using seagrass meadows in the UK.
 
 

Aims of the project:

This PhD research seeks to fill some of these knowledge gaps. It focuses on four seagrass meadow sites in Plymouth Sound, UK, and aims to:
  • Develop a more comprehensive, in-depth understanding of fish assemblages that use the seagrass meadows across Plymouth Sound using several methods, including baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs), environmental DNA (eDNA) and passive acoustics.
  • Assess and compare the performance of these methodologies for measuring these fish assemblages, to provide recommendations for further monitoring and management.
  • Quantify the monetary value that seagrass meadows provide to UK commercial and recreational fisheries.
Seagrass in the river Yealm. Paul Naylor, Ocean Conservation Trust Paul Naylor (Ocean Conservation Trust)
 
 
 

Fish Habitat Research Unit

The Fish Habitat Research Unit (FHRU) at the University of Plymouth forms an important pool of expertise investigating how marine habitats support fisheries, sustainability and nature conservation.
Through a transdisciplinary approach, the unit partners with a range of actors in fisheries and conservation, providing the research capacity to inform robust decision making and management approaches to pressing real-world problems.
Fish Habitat Research Group