National Wetlands Research Center

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

Submerged aquatic vegetation provides habitat and forage for waterfowl and fisheries, effective buffering against storms, and amelioration of water quality in seawater ecosystems, brackish estuaries, and freshwaters. Some freshwater species, particularly introduced species, can also disrupt the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Researchers are investigating the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on these important ecosystems.

In collaboration with university personnel, researchers at the National Wetlands Research Center are studying the effects of carbon dioxide enrichment on the productivity of submerged aquatic plants in freshwater, estuarine, and saltwater ecosystems.

Additional studies focus on the effects of salinity increases on the productivity and community composition of estuarine plants, the role of physical disturbance in seagrass ecosystems, the water quality requirements of estuarine plants, and the trophic structure of subtropical seagrass ecosystems.

Research

• Ecological requirements of submerged aquatic vegetation in the Gulf of Mexico (Dr. Thomas C. Michot).
• Monitoring and Modeling Global Change Effects on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation of Intermediate Salinities Along the Gulf of Mexico Coast (Dr. Jacoby Carter)

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