Marine biodegradation of natural potential carrier substrates for seagrass restoration

Pieraccini, Riccardo; Nebel, Kai; Engelen, Aschwin; Rautenbach, Sarah

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/25741

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Marine Ecology - 2024 - Rautenbach - Marine biodegradation of natural potential carrier substrates for seagrass restoration.pdf		4.24 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

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Abstract(s)

Seagrass meadows provide essential ecosystem services but have been strongly declining over the past. Due to their incapability to recover effectively naturally, assisted restoration is used. This study aimed to test textile fabrics from natural derivatives to serve as carrier substrates for seagrass transplantation. The use of biotextile fabrics should enable seagrasses to better withstand hydrodynamic forces, especially in highenergy areas and during autumn and winter storms in the initial phase of restoration, thereby increasing restoration success. Here, the biodegradation behavior of three natural textiles was assessed in different configurations. Coir, sisal, and jute meshes were fixed on the top and bottom of a coir nonwoven mat, forming a so-called “sandwich structure.” Specimens were buried in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, Portugal, and retrieved weekly within the first months of burial and subsequently monthly over a total period of 3 months. Weight, tensile strength, and oxygen consumption rate were used as descriptors for biodegradation and tested after each retrieval.