A Synthesis of Provision and Impact in Seagrass Ecosystem Services in the Brazilian Southwest Atlantic

Joel C. Creed (), Laura Sol Aranda, Júlia Gomes de Sousa, Caio Barros Brito do Bem, Beatriz Sant’Anna Vasconcelos Marafiga Dutra, Marianna Lanari, Virgínia Eduarda de Sousa, Karine M. Magalhães, Rafael Almeida Magris, Manuel Vivanco-Bercovich, Igor Cruz, Paulo Antunes Horta, Pablo Riul, Fernanda Araujo Casares, Ximena Ovando and Margareth Copertino
Additional contact information
Joel C. Creed: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil
Laura Sol Aranda: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil
Júlia Gomes de Sousa: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil
Caio Barros Brito do Bem: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil
Beatriz Sant’Anna Vasconcelos Marafiga Dutra: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil
Marianna Lanari: Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
Virgínia Eduarda de Sousa: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul 96203-900, RS, Brazil
Karine M. Magalhães: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife 52171-900, PE, Brazil
Rafael Almeida Magris: Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brasília 70670-350, DF, Brazil
Manuel Vivanco-Bercovich: Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada 22860, Mexico
Igor Cruz: Departamento de Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, BA, Brazil
Paulo Antunes Horta: Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-970, SC, Brazil
Pablo Riul: Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
Fernanda Araujo Casares: Instituto Brasileiro de Biodiversidade, Rio de Janeiro 20031-203, RJ, Brazil
Ximena Ovando: Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
Margareth Copertino: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul 96203-900, RS, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: The ongoing environmental crisis, driven by biodiversity loss and climate change, raises concerns about the impacts on marine systems and human well-being. These environments provide crucial ecosystem services valued at approximately USD 74.5 trillion·year −1 globally. Seagrasses support fisheries, protect coasts, help mitigate climate change, maintain biodiversity, provide food security, and enhance water quality. However, comprehensive assessments of seagrass ecosystem services (SESs) and their impacts are lacking. Focusing on the Brazilian southwest Atlantic, our aim is to bridge this gap and identify key research areas for improved management decisions. Our literature search employed n = 19 paired terms for seagrass in Brazil. We screened 30,351 search returns for 394 relevant documents. Research on SESs has grown over time, and most research has focused on provisioning and supporting ecosystem services: 79.7% of documents mentioned at least one SES, while 24.5% of the documents provided evidence of observed SESs; 31.5% only provided information on expected SESs. Provisioning services were the most observed and expected. Coastal urbanization (54%) and marine food provisioning (17%) were the main drivers impacting SESs. Terrestrial food and material provision (9%) and climate change (8%) were also significant drivers. This study provides key recommendations aimed at fostering further research and management strategies to consider the complete ensemble of ecosystem services for a range of seagrass bioregions, to better understand the provision of and impacts to seagrass services and human well-being at the global scale.

Keywords: biodiversity; ecological functions; Halodule; Halophila; marine conservation; marine plants; Ruppia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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