Seagrasses
The Mystery of Seagrass Dispersal: Insights from Halodule wrightii

The Mystery of Seagrass Dispersal: Insights from Halodule wrightii

Based on: Tavares, A.I., Assis, J., Larkin, P.D., Creed, J.C., Magalhães, K., Horta, P., Engelen, A., Cardoso, N., Barbosa, C., Pontes, S. and Regalla, A., 2023. Long range gene flow beyond predictions from oceanographic transport in a tropical marine foundation species. Scientific Reports, 13(1), p.9112. Habitat-forming marine species, like seagrasses, corals and macroalgae have wide...

Sampling marine environmental DNA to find out who was there

Sampling marine environmental DNA to find out who was there

All organisms leave a trace of DNA in the environment that they inhabit, including those living in the ocean. We call this type of DNA, environmental DNA (eDNA). Example sources of eDNA include, but are not limited to, faeces, mucus, gametes, shed skin and dead cells. We can sample this DNA and analyse it to figure out who was there! In our case, we will use eDNA to study the biodiversity in...

Detection of oomycetes on seagrasses using state-of-the-art Nanopore sequencing

Detection of oomycetes on seagrasses using state-of-the-art Nanopore sequencing

In a short research project, Kaïn van Calcar, a BSc student at the University of Amsterdam, investigated the role of oomycetes in the decline of seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows are essential for providing various ecosystem services, including acting as habitats for marine organisms and effectively storing carbon. Unfortunately, these meadows have been experiencing a rapid worldwide decline....

Conservation and restoration of marine forests, from deep sea coral reefs to seagrass meadows

Conservation and restoration of marine forests, from deep sea coral reefs to seagrass meadows

What are marine forests? Marine forests are biodiverse-rich ecosystems engineered by key structural taxa of macroalgae, seagrass and corals. Depending on the keystone taxa, we can separate them in three main ecosystems: seaweed banks, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. Seagrass meadows Seagrasses are marine flowering plants rooted to the seafloor. They can grow over large areas, creating...

Swimming amongst seagrasses

Swimming amongst seagrasses

It’s mid-October in Sardinia, and the once packed beaches in the Summer, are bare and wild. It’s windy and not necessarily warm, but I can’t resist jumping in the water for a little snorkelling session in the crystalline turquoise waters Sardinia is known for. Me walking along the Li Itriceddi beach in Sardinia. Seagrass patches are visible amongst the rocks. The moment I put my head underwater...

From Brazil to Austria

From Brazil to Austria

It is super exciting to see our project RESTORESEAS showcased in the new Brazil exhibition at the Natural History Museum Vienna! This exhibition explores 200 years of historical relationships between Brazil and Austria

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