Waves in Seagrass Systems: Review and Technical Recommendations
Abstract
Seagrasses are rooted flowering marine plants that provide a variety of ecosystem services to the coastal areas they colonize. Attenuation of currents and waves and sediment stabilization are often listed among these services. Although we have a reasonably good understanding of how currents affect seagrasses and vice-versa, less is known about interactions between waves and seagrasses, and standard methods for research on waves in seagrass systems have not yet been established. This report presents background information needed to inform and encourage further studies on waves in seagrass systems from both field and modeling perspectives. It reviews current knowledge of waves in seagrass systems, encompassing field and laboratory data as well as modeling efforts. It then describes various methods for measuring waves in seagrass colonized areas and modeling the dynamics of wave-seagrass interactions. Standardization of experimental designs, instrumentation, analyses, and modeling approaches to allow for ready comparison between studies is encouraged.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA458760
Entities
People
- Deborah J. Shafer
- Evamaria W. Koch
- Jane M. Smith
- Larry P. Sanford
- Shih-nan Chen
Organizations
- University of Maryland