ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

Summary

Human-induced environmental and climate change are impairing the health of tropical coastal ecosystems and their supply of ecosystem services. Hainan's coastal ecosystems are particularly affected by cultural eutrophication and ocean acidification. Because of major losses in the past decades the protection and restoration of seagrass meadows is a priority task in coastal zone management (CZM). Based on the results of long-term collaboration the ProRestHainan project aims to monitor the success of recent improvements in CZM and to develop further measures to support protection and restoration of seagrasses along Hainan's coast.

Project goals

• To investigate the mitigation effect of iron addition on the toxicity of sediment sulphide production to seagrasses.
• To study the effect of ocean acidification on seagrass physiology and performance.
• To develop a collaboration project to monitor the effect of reduced eutrophication and restoration on the abundance and diversity of seagrasses.