Abstract
Executive Summary: Climate change is driving the intensification of marine heatwaves (MHWs), which pose a significant threat to seagrass ecosystems globally. Understanding the response of seagrass species to these extreme thermal events is crucial for predicting their resilience and informing conservation strategies. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of prolonged MHW conditions (30 °C) on the photophysiology, metabolism, and growth of three populations of Posidonia sinuosa from Western Australia (Shoalwater, Garden Island, and Jurien Bay). We aimed to determine whether populations with higher thermal optima exhibit higher levels of resilience to MHWs compared to populations with lower thermal optima.
Keywords
marine heatwaves, climate change, seagrass ecosystems, Posidonia sinuosa, thermal resilience, Western Australia
Non-Traditional Research Output
Report for External Body
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2024
Type of File
Publisher
Western Australian Marine Science Institution
School
School of Science
RAS ID
88276
Funding Information
The $13.5 million WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program was funded by the Western Australian Government, Department of Transport. WAMSI partners provided significant in-kind funding to the program to increase the value to >$22 million.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.