Seagrass Beds Disappearing Worldwide - ENS

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Around the world, seagrass beds are in decline, says a scientist who has been studying the shallow water ecosystems for decades. As these underwater meadows disappear, so do commercially valuable shellfish and fish, waterfowl and other wildlife, water quality and erosion prevention.

Frederick Short, research professor of natural resources and marine science at the University of New Hampshire, compares seagrass beds to forests on the ocean floor.

From the Hudson Bay, where the Cree Nation enlisted him to transplant their diminishing eelgrass beds, to the Pacific island of Palau, Short has found the same thing.

"Almost everywhere we start monitoring seagrass, it's declining," he says. While conclusive global results are not yet available, Short believes human impact is responsible for the decline.

EDIT

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-28-03.asp