Mentor/s
Torrie Hanley
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Mason J. Tsaglos1, Forest R. Schenck2, and Torrance C. Hanley1
1Sacred Heart University, Department of Biology, Fairfield, CT
2Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Salem, MA
Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem functions and services, making conservation and restoration of these ecologically-valuable systems a high priority for coastal managers. The global decline of seagrass meadows necessitates finding consistently effective restoration methods. Recently, there has been increased interest in seed-based methods of seagrass restoration. However, these methods have had mixed success, with highly variable outcomes. Relatively little is known about how sediment characteristics, including soil conditioning by seagrasses at different spatial and temporal scales, may affect seed germination and seedling success in a restoration context. To examine the effects of seed source and sediment characteristics, we conducted a laboratory experiment using eelgrass seeds collected from different source meadows and comparing i) sediment collected different distances from a natural meadow (0, 1, 25, and 250 m from the edge) and ii) sediment that varied in historical seagrass presence (seagrass present currently and seagrass present ~1, 5, 10, and 20 years ago). We measured seed germination and seedling performance, and also assessed seed quality and viability. Our results can be used to inform seagrass restoration in New England, suggesting that i) sourcing seeds from multiple meadows will increase the likelihood of including higher quality seeds, and ii) including sediment inoculations from vegetated sites may increase success.
College and Major available
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Creative
Assessing the effects of spatial and temporal variation in sediment conditioning on seagrass seed germination and seedling performance
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Mason J. Tsaglos1, Forest R. Schenck2, and Torrance C. Hanley1
1Sacred Heart University, Department of Biology, Fairfield, CT
2Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Salem, MA
Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem functions and services, making conservation and restoration of these ecologically-valuable systems a high priority for coastal managers. The global decline of seagrass meadows necessitates finding consistently effective restoration methods. Recently, there has been increased interest in seed-based methods of seagrass restoration. However, these methods have had mixed success, with highly variable outcomes. Relatively little is known about how sediment characteristics, including soil conditioning by seagrasses at different spatial and temporal scales, may affect seed germination and seedling success in a restoration context. To examine the effects of seed source and sediment characteristics, we conducted a laboratory experiment using eelgrass seeds collected from different source meadows and comparing i) sediment collected different distances from a natural meadow (0, 1, 25, and 250 m from the edge) and ii) sediment that varied in historical seagrass presence (seagrass present currently and seagrass present ~1, 5, 10, and 20 years ago). We measured seed germination and seedling performance, and also assessed seed quality and viability. Our results can be used to inform seagrass restoration in New England, suggesting that i) sourcing seeds from multiple meadows will increase the likelihood of including higher quality seeds, and ii) including sediment inoculations from vegetated sites may increase success.
Students' Information
Mason Tsaglos, Biology Major, Psychology and Chemistry Minors, Graduating in 2026