Everyone knows the Great Barrier Reef is in peril. But a continent away, Western Australia's Shark Bay is also threatened by marine heatwaves that could alter this World Heritage ecosystem forever.
Sangalaki Island, Indonesia.
The Coral Reef Image Bank image provide by Simon Pierce.
The sediments that accumulate beneath seagrass meadows can act as secure vaults for shipwrecks and other precious artefacts, by stopping water and oxygen from damaging the delicate timbers.
Green sea turtle eating seagrass off Lizard Island.
Abbi Scott
New research highlights the role of sea turtles and dugong in the dispersal of seeds and maintenance of seagrass meadows, an important marine habitat and the primary food source for both animals.
Fishing ships in Lauwersoog, The Netherlands.
Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock
In the summer of 2010-2011 Western Australia experienced an unprecedented heatwave — but not on land. Between December 2010 and April 2011, sea temperatures off the WA coast reached 3C above average, and…
Australia is surrounded by a thin green line of seagrass meadows potentially worth A$5.4 billion on international carbon markets, and which could contribute to Australia and other nations meeting carbon…
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation and Pauline Ernesto, The Conversation
Rising sea levels will lead to a drastic decline in seagrass stocks, a new study has found, but reducing water pollution…
Seagrasses store carbon more efficiently than rainforests, making them a crucial part of climate change mitigation.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alessiodl