Cause effect pathways or seagrass die-offs in Naval waters and across Cockburn Sound

This project aims to determine the role of sediment phytotoxins in causing seagrass die-offs that threaten the many ecosystem functions and services seagrasses provide. This project will examine interactions between internal seagrass aeration and key sediment phytotoxins (sulfides and organic acids), and the environmental conditions where seagrasses are vulnerable to phytotoxins. The project will use microsensors in situ and in controlled environment experiments to determine thresholds for seagrass loss driven by sediment phytotoxins. These thresholds will be added to existing models (dominated by water quality) used for predicting seagrass loss to environmental change, improving management decisions with environmental and economic benefits.