The seed bank of Halophila ovalis is crucial for resilience to disturbance through re-establishment. Understanding seasonal changes in abundance and quality of seeds in natural seed banks is critical for seed-based restoration. We selected an estuary in southwestern Australia and investigated the seasonal changes of seed distribution and viability in H. ovalis seed banks. We also adapted an X-ray viability test used for terres...

For millennia, coastal and marine ecosystems have adapted and flourished in the Red Sea’s unique environment. Surrounded by deserts on all sides, the Red Sea is subjected to high dust inputs and receives very little freshwater input, and so harbors a high salinity. Coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangroves flourish in this environment and provide socio-economic and environmental benefits to the bordering coastlines and coun...

While light availability plays a critical role in seagrass growth and distribution, there is limited understanding of how changes in light exposure impact belowground processes. We investigated the effect of prolonged and fluctuating reductions in light on root growth and exudation by three colonizing seagrasses: Cymodocea serrulata , Halophila ovalis , and Halodule uninervis . Seagrasses were grown in mesocosms under continuo...

Extreme climatic events can trigger abrupt and often lasting change in ecosystems via the reduction or elimination of foundation (i.e., habitat‐forming) species. However, while the frequency/intensity of extreme events is predicted to increase under climate change, the impact of these events on many foundation species and the ecosystems they support remains poorly understood. Here, we use the iconic seagrass meadows of Shark B...