SeagrassNet Manual for Scientific Monitoring of Seagrass Habitat, Worldwide edition

Abstract

SeagrassNet is a scientific global monitoring program based at the University of New Hampshire that investigates and documents the status of seagrass resources worldwide and the threats to this important and imperilled marine ecosystem. The program started in 2001 in the Western Pacific and now includes many sites throughout the world; a global monitoring protocol and web-based data reporting system have been established. Our ultimate aim is to preserve the seagrass ecosystem by increasing scientific knowledge and public awareness of this threatened coastal resource. SeagrassNet teams composed of scientists and managers from participating countries conduct synchronous quarterly sampling of selected plant and environmental parameters to determine seagrass habitat status and trends. A lack of information exists on the status and health of seagrasses worldwide, particularly in less economically developed regions. SeagrassNet's efforts to monitor known seagrass areas and to reconnoiter uncharted seagrasses are important first steps in understanding and sustaining the seagrass resource. Across the globe, SeagrassNet is collecting information with the goal of elevating interest and awareness in seagrasses and providing a "global report card" on the health of the valuable seagrass coastal habitat.