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The Decline of Zostera Marina L. at Salcombe and its Effects on the Shore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

Douglas P. Wilson
Affiliation:
Zoologist at the Plymouth Laboratory

Extract

A comparison of photographs taken on the eastern shore of Salcombe harbour before and after the disappearance of much of the Zostera marina L. shows that where previously there existed extensive sand banks, stabilized by the growth of this plant, there has been a lowering of ground level of 2 ft. or more, due to the washing away of the sand where the Zostera has died. Much of the ground is more stony than before and has become largely covered with seaweed attached to the stones. The buried fauna is not as rich as it was and some species previously common are rare or have disappeared altogether. A few small patches of Zostera still survive, but the plants are shorter with narrower leaves than before.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1949

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References

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