Palacios SL, Zimmerman RC

Response of eelgrass Zostera marina to CO₂ enrichment: possible impacts of climate change and potential for remediation of coastal habitats

Projected increases in ambient CO₂ concentrations may have a significant impact on photosynthesis in seagrasses, which are important ‘ecosystem engineers’ in coastal waters throughout the world. Previous short term studies demonstrated that carbon enrichment can sustain eelgrass growth under light limitation. In this study, Palacios & Zimmerman show that long-term CO₂ enrichment derived from the flue gas of an electric power plant enhances the performance of eelgrass growing under natural light conditions over a year, resulting in significantly higher reproductive output, below-ground biomass and vegetative proliferation of new shoots. The broader effects of CO₂ enrichment on ecosystem function, however, require further study before deliberate CO₂ injection could be considered as a means to mitigate seagrass habitat degradation.

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