Seagrass biome protection: An interdisciplinary case study of Zostera marina L

The seagrass Zostera Marina L. (Zosteraceae) is a marine flowering plant widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. In a three-part story, leaf use by humans, seed predation by waterfowl and variation in seed size between varieties is told. This story is rich in detail and the substance of each separate part can be used to strengthen conservation initiatives to protect the biome.;First I describe the wide use of leaves in the North Atlantic. Collected from the wrack line or harvested on the tide flats, they were used wet as green manure and dry as insulation and mattress stuffing by farming and fishing folk in nine countries. This domestic gathering led to the formation of three industries in the late 1800's---commercial and residential insulation, mattress and upholstery stuffing and packing material. Using information from library searches and participant observation interviews, I describe gathering and processing techniques developed to prepare leaves for these industrial products.;Next, using the northern pintail (Anas acuta L.) as a case study, the role of waterfowl as seed predators is discussed. As much as 25% of the yearly seed stock may be eaten by these birds seeking food items rich in carbohydrates for fall migration from Izembek Lagoon, Alaska to southern sites along the Pacific Flyway. Seeds are commonly sucked from bottom sediments; however, some seeds may be stripped from the flower. Some of the enormous seed volume eaten may also be dispersed but more work is needed to verify this finding. The seasonal feeding behavior of these dabbling ducks in intertidal regions calls for biome protection across tidal gradients. This may result in more regulation of intertidal human activities such as claming and beach recreation.;Finally, results of earlier taxonomic work describing the three varieties--- izembekensis, typica and latifolia is supported when mean seed lengths between these three varieties are compared. Then, using the seed metric of area a seed size model is derived to calculate seed weight. This added calculation allows further discrimination into three size classes. This discovery has important implications for studies in seedling ecology and restoration activities using seed stock.