Eutrophication has caused strong shifts from perennial seagrass to opportunistic macroalgae and phytoplankton in many coastal ecosystems worldwide. This new paper shows how region-specific responses of primary producers affect the associated animal communities. Large-scale field surveys revealed that eelgrass beds continue to persist at intermediate levels of eutrophication, but the loss of sensitive species and decrease in species richness highlight that eutrophication has already changed seagrass ecosystems in Atlantic Canada.
22
November