Its mostly about seagrasses...
Its mostly about seagrasses...
Photo: Rachel Austin
Saving seagrass from climate change
Climate change is driving profound changes in our natural ecosystems. Our research continues to be conducted in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shark Bay (Gathaagudu), where marine heat waves and extreme tidal events are impacting survival and sexual reproduction in Posidonia. This project will test whether enhancing genetic connectivity in range edge seagrass populations increases their resilience to climate change. We suggest that such a ‘genetic rescue’ approach will provide a novel and practical solution for seagrass conservation and restoration in changing environmental conditions.
Meet the World's largest plant
AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL - DISCOVERY
INVESTIGATORS:
Prof. Gary Kendrick, UWA
Dr Martin Breed, Flinders University
Dr Siegy Krauss, Kings Park Science, DBCA
OUTCOMES:
Edgeloe JM, Severn-Ellis AA, Bayer PE, Mehravi S, Breed MF, Krauss SL, Batley J, Kendrick GA, Sinclair EA (2022) Extensive polyploid clonality was a successful strategy for seagrass to expand into a newly submerged environment. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 289 (1976): 20220538
Kendrick GA, Orth RJ, Sinclair EA, Statton J (2022) Effect of climate change on regeneration of seagrasses from seed. In: Baskan CC and Baskan JM (eds) Plant regeneration from seeds: a global warming perspective. Chapter 20, pp 275-283
Pfeifer L, van Erven G, Sinclair EA, Duarte CM, Kabel MA, Classen B (2022) Profiling the cell walls of seagrasses from A (Amphibolis) to Z (Zostera). BMC Plant Biology 22: 63