Australian Seagrass Seascapes: Present Understanding and Future Research Directions

Seagrass seascapes are 100s m2 to 1000s of km2 coastal regions in nearshore, sandy to muddy benthic environments that are characterized by the presence of seagrasses. Here we explore the development of seagrass seascape research in Australia. Determining the distribution of seagrasses started with mapping their extent, but improvements in remote sensing and statistical modelling has allowed us assess the large scale spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of seagrass seascapes. We use a case study from Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, Queensland to demonstrate changes in seagrass meadows over time. Terrestrial landscape indices and their use in seagrass studies is reviewed. Some indices perform better to summarize patch to meadow scale changes in the distribution and structure of seagrasses. A case-study is then presented, comparing landscape indices calculated from observed changes in seagrass patches and meadows to a spatially-explicit model simulation, to explore the drivers for changes in the seagrass seascape’s demographic processes, clonal growth and recruitment from seeds. The role of landscape structure in the movement and abundance of associated fauna in seagrass seascapes using landscape approaches is then reviewed. This is followed by a summary outlining directions for future research that combine landscape ecology and remote sensing techniques with population and community biology.