Northeast USA SeagrassNet Zm percent cover

Sea surface temperature (SST) has increased worldwide since the beginning of the 20th century, a trend which is expected to continue. Changes in SST can have significant impacts on marine biota, including population-level shifts and alterations in community structure and diversity, and changes in the timing of ecosystem events. Seagrasses are a group of foundation species that grow in shallow coastal and estuarine systems, where they provide many ecosystem services. Eelgrass, Zostera marina L., is the dominant seagrass species in the Northeast United States of America (USA). Multiple factors have been cited for losses in this region, including light reduction, eutrophication, and physical disturbance. Warming has the potential to exacerbate seagrass loss. Here, we investigate regional changes in eelgrass presence and abundance in relation to local water temperature using monitoring data from eight sites in the Northeastern USA (New Hampshire to Maryland) where a consistent monitoring pr...