Sea Grant Annual Report 2009
Title: Effects of water quality on seagrass community productivity and biodiversity Project Number: R104106 Name: Loretta Roberson, University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Note: I have received an extension until November 2009 to complete the proposed study. Research was delayed by poor field sampling conditions in 2008, lack of departmental support (I did not receive release time for research during the 2008-09 school year), and lack of graduate student assistance.
Results The goal of this study was to characterize nearshore habitats and the accompanying watersheds to provide resource managers with policy recommendations based on scientific data. The work quantified both physical and biological characteristics of seagrass habitats. There were six main methodological components to this work, three physical and three biological. Physical components include coastal water sampling, quantification of watershed characteristics, and measurement of physical forces. Biological components include seagrass demographics, community biodiversity, and seagrass productivity. I. Watershed conditions Nutrient concentrations were either not available (mainly) or were below detection limits. Watershed water quality was highly variable but poor conditions correlated with high discharge rates (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Watershed conditions. Note that peak turbidity levels occur during peak discharge.