Seagrasses, Nature’s Water Filter

In many systems, vegetated estuarine habitats such as salt marshes and seagrass beds act as a natural water filtration system—where sediment and nutrient-rich water flows in and cleaner water flows out. Seagrasses are capable of both increasing the pH and concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water overlying the seagrass.

Open
Tags: cultural services Ecosystem Benefits provisional services regulating services supporting services
Seagrasses, Nature’s Water Filter

Related Resources

Understanding Blue Carbon
 Blue carbon refers to carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. “Blue” refers to the watery nature of this storage. The vast majority of blue carbon is carbon di[...]
Tags: Blue CarbonBlue ForestsCarbon EmissionsClimate Change
A New Generation of Ocean Farmers are Reducing Pollution with Seaweed
 Seaweed soaks up carbon and nitrogen, two pollutants lingering in the water. If ocean farmers devoted a little less than 5 percent of U.S. waters to growing seaweed, they could clean up an estimated 1[...]
Tags: Ecosystem BenefitsKelpPollutionprovisional services
Why Protecting & Restoring Blue Carbon Ecosystems Matters
 Mangroves and seagrass meadows are coastal ecosystems that cover a small portion of the total ocean area but collectively are widely distributed on every continent except Antarctica. Mangroves are fou[...]
Tags: Blue CarbonBlue ForestsEcosystem Benefitsecosystem services
Ecosystems as Fish Factories
 The authors’ initial global model of mangrove fisheries was built up front a detailed review of hundreds of studies from around the world, and informed by an expert panel. In terms of natural pr[...]
Tags: BiodiversityEcosystem Benefitsecosystem servicesFisheries
Ocean Acidification
 The ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released in the atmosphere. As levels of atmospheric CO2 increase from human activity such as burning fossil fuels (e.g., car emissions)[...]
Tags: CarbonCarbon EmissionsCarbon SequestrationClimate Change
World’s first underwater climate strike calls for ocean protection
 Young Mauritian scientist and climate advocate, Shaama Sandooyea, has held the world’s first ever underwater climate strike at the heart of the Indian Ocean. The protest took place at the Saya de Ma[...]
Tags: climate activismClimate Justiceclimate stikeoceans
How Does CO2 Affect pH In Water?
 The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a solution is one of the many factors that determines the pH of water. When CO2 levels increase in water, the pH level drops, which makes the water become more ac[...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsClimate ChangeGlobal carbon cycleOcean Acidification
Marine Life Cycles
 Although at the surface the ocean can appear calm and quiet, in fact there is an enormous amount of life activity taking place, particularly at certain times of the year. [...]
Tags: Blue Forestscoastal and marine ecosystemsocean basicsOcean Literacy