Trait-based connectivity of seagrass meadows in the Great Barrier Reef
(2026) Ocean Sciences Meeting — Location: Glasgow, UK (22.February.2026)
Files
No attached file found for this publication.
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- Seagrass meadows of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) form a large system of interconnected and diverse coastal habitats. Over this scale, the resilience and persistence of these multi-species meadows is influenced by long-distance dispersal of vegetative fragments. To date, the extent of this habitat network and the strength of its connections, remain poorly quantified. In this study, we used a high-resolution biophysical dispersal model, coupling hydrodynamics and a particle tracker, to assess the functional connectivity of seagrass meadows in the GBR, over a 6-year period (2011-2016). We classified seagrass species by leaf morphology, assuming a different dispersal behaviour. We then used a particle-tracker model to assess how this interspecific variability in seagrass fragments traits affects their dispersal patterns and how these patterns further affect meadows connectivity in the entire GBR. Our community analyses revealed a marked seasonal shift, with a greater number of communities observed during the wet season, and fewer but larger communities observed during the dry season. Some functional groups, particularly ribbon thin and ribbon thick long leaf species (Z. muelleri, H. uninervis and C. rotundata), formed a large strongly connected network, while others (e.g. fern and ribbon thick short leaf species – H. spinulosa and C. serrulata) exhibited smaller, locally connected communities. Moreover, the betweenness centrality highlights that the steppingstones meadows for all functionnal groups are localised in the central GBR, particularly the Whitsunday region. These findings highlight that effective conservation of GBR seagrass meadows requires species-, region-, and season-specific management strategies to maintain ecosystem resilience.
- Affiliations
James Cook University
Citations
Hanuise, D. (2026). Trait-based connectivity of seagrass meadows in the Great Barrier Reef. Ocean Sciences Meeting, Glasgow, UK. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/272807