Page 6 - Eco-Schools Newsletter Autumn One - English
P. 6
Challenges seagrass face
Seagrass meadows worldwide have blooms that outcompete seagrass
faced challenges in recent decades, for sunlight.
and they need our help. Seagrass plays a crucial role as a
These plants are sensitive to shifts in natural filter, soaking up pollutants
water temperatures, pollution, and as they flow from land to sea.
human activities like dredging and Nevertheless, excessive amounts
trawling. of such substances have proven
Sewage discharge into our waters to be overwhelming for seagrass
is especially harmful to existing meadows. As heavy metals
seagrass meadows. Not only is it accumulate within them, the plant’s
highly toxic to seagrass, but it also capacity to fix nitrogen is impaired,
fosters the growth of large algal reducing its odds of survival.
Credit: Michiel Vos / Ocean Image Bank
