Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Extensive and Continuing Loss of Seagrasses in Florida’s Big Bend (USA)

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Florida’s Big Bend in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico contains the second-largest contiguous seagrass meadow in the continental United States, providing numerous ecosystem functions and services, including carbon cycling and storage. We present 21 years of mapping data and 13 years of annual in-water monitoring that reveal extensive declines in area, species frequency of occurrence (FO), and percent cover of seagrass. Seagrass area declined by 15% to 85,170 ha in 2022. Subregions in the southern Big Bend experienced extensive seagrass losses of 90–100%. North of the Steinhatchee River, the Northern Big Bend contained 85% of the total seagrass area and experienced losses of only 8.4%. The FO of seagrass and bare quadrats exhibited similar trends to areal coverage. The lowest FO along with complete loss of species was observed near the mouth of the Suwannee River. At a distance from the Suwannee River, FO also declined, but no species were lost. In the remainder of the Big Bend, FO remained stable except for short-term reductions in 2013–2014, which were likely related to anomalously high runoff from rainfall and tropical storm activity. Mean percent cover, however, declined throughout Big Bend, reaching minimal levels in 2014, with little to no recovery through 2019. The persistence of low percent cover may increase vulnerability of beds to continuing areal losses, but the persistence of seagrass species at a distance from the Suwannee River mouth may allow recovery if environmental conditions improve.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abal EG, Dennison WC (1996) Seagrass depth range and water quality in southern Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Mar Freshwat Res 47:763–771

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beck MW, Heck KL, Able KW, Childers DL, Eggleston DB, Gillanders BM, Halpern B, Hays CG, Hoshino K, Minello TJ, Orth RJ, Sheridan PF, Weinstein MP (2001) The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates: a better understanding of the habitats that serve as nurseries for marine species and the factors that create site-specific variability in nursery quality will improve conservation and management of these areas. BioSciences 51:633–641. 10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0633:TICAMO]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beron-Vera FJ, Olascoaga MJ (2009) An assessment of the importance of chaotic stirring and turbulent mixing on the West Florida Shelf. J Phys Oceanogr 39:1743–1755

  • Beven JL II (2013) Tropical Storm Andrea. National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL012013_Andrea.pdf

  • Brenner J, Jiménez JA, Sardá R, Garola A (2010) An assessment of the non-market value of the ecosystem services provided by the Catalan coastal zone, Spain. Ocean Coast Manag 53:27–38

  • Burkholder JM, Tomasko DA, Touchette BW (2007) Seagrasses and eutrophication. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 350:46–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson PR Jr, Johnsey E, Yarbro LA (2018) Summary report for the Northern Big Bend region. In: Yarbro LA, Carlson PR Jr. (eds.) Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Report No. 3, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Technical Report TR-17 version 3. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Petersburg, FL

  • Carlson Jr PR, Yarbro LA, Kaufman KA, Mattson RA (2010) Vulnerability and resilience of seagrasses to hurricane and runoff impacts along Florida’s west coast. Hydrobiologia 649:39–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson PR, Yarbro L, Johnsey E, Carlson D (submitted) Optical water quality and its impacts on seagrasses in Apalachee Bay, Florida (USA)

  • Christianen JA, Dennison WC (2018) Seagrass ecosystem trajectory depends on the relative timescales of resistance, recovery and disturbance. Mar Pollut Bull 134:166–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costanza R, d’Arge R, DeGroot R, Farber S et al. (1997) The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cullen-Unsworth LC, Unsworth RKF (2016) Strategies to enhance the resilience of the world’s seagrass meadows. J Appl Ecol 53:967–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis RA (1997) Geology of the Florida Coast. In Randazzo AF, Jones DS (eds) The Geology of Florida. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL, p 155–168

  • De Falco G, Baroli M, Murru E, Piergallini G, Cancemi G (2006) Sediment analysis evidences two different depositional phenomena influencing seagrass distribution in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Western Mediterranean). J Coast Res 22:1043–1050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewsbury BM, Bhat M, Fourqurean JW (2016) A review of seagrass economic valuations: Gaps and progress in valuation approaches. Ecosyst Serv 18:68–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duarte B, Martins I, Rosa R, Matos AR, Roleda MY et al. (2018) Climate change impacts on seagrass meadows and macroalgal forests: an integrative perspective on acclimation and adaptation potential. Front Mar Sci 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00190

  • Duarte CM, Middelburg JJ, Caraco N (2005) Major role of marine vegetation on the oceanic carbon cycle. Biogeosci Discuss 1:659–679

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffy JE (2006) Biodiversity and the functioning of seagrass ecosystems. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 311:233–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahrig L (2003) Effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 34:487–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher SW, Fletcher WW (1995) Factors affecting changes in seagrass distribution and diversity patterns in the Indian River Lagoon complex between 1940 and 1992. Bull Mar Sci 57:49–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Florida Department of Transportation (1999) Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System. A Handbook. Division of Surveying and Mapping, Geographic Mapping Section, Tallahassee, FL

  • Florida State University Florida Climate Center. Station Tallahassee Municipal Airport. https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/products-services/data/1991-2020-normals/tallahassee. Accessed May 2023

  • Fonseca M, Whitfield PE, Kelly NM, Bell SS (2002) Modeling seagrass landscape pattern and associated ecological attributes. Ecol Appl 12:218–237. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[0218:MSLPAA]2.0.CO;2

  • Fourqurean JW, Duarte CM, Kennedy H, Marbà N, Holmer M, Mateo MA et al. (2012a) Seagrass ecosystems as a globally significant carbon stock. Nat Geosci 5:505–509. https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fourqurean JW, Kendrick GA, Collins LS, Chambers RM, Vanderklift MA (2012b) Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storage in subtropical seagrass meadows: examples from Florida Bay and Shark Bay. Mar Freshwat Res 63:967–983

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grech A, Chartrand-Miller K, Erftemeijer P, Fonseca M, McKenzie L, Rasheed M, Taylor H, Coles R (2012) A comparison of threats, vulnerabilities and management approaches in global seagrass regions. Environ Res Lett 7:024006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greening H, Janicki A, Sherwood ET, Pribble R, Johansson JOR (2014) Ecosystem responses to long-term nutrient management in an urban estuary: Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 151:A1–A16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hale JA, Frazer TK, Tomasko DA, Hall MO (2004) Changes in the distribution of seagrass species along Florida’s central Gulf coast: Iverson and Bittaker revisited. Estuaries 27:36–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck KL, Hayes G, Orth RJ (2003) Critical evaluation of the nursery role hypothesis for seagrass meadows. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 253:123–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck Jr KL, Valentine JF (2007) The primacy of top-down effects in shallow benthic ecosystems. Estuaries Coasts 30:371–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02819384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heithaus MR, Alcoverro T, Arthur R, Burkholder DA, Coates KA, Christianen MJA, Kelkar N, Manuel SA, Wirsing AJ, Kenworthy WJ, Fourqurean JW (2014) Seagrasses in the age of sea turtle conservation and shark overfishing. Front Mar Sci 1:28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2014.00028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hiron L, Miron P, Shay LK, Johns WE, Chassignet EP, Bozec A (2022) Lagrangian coherence and source of water of Loop Current Frontal Eddies in the Gulf of Mexico. Progr Oceanogr 208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2022.102876

  • Holmer M (2019) Productivity and biogeochemical cycling in seagrass ecosystems. In: Perillo G, Wolanski E, Cahoon D, Hopkinson C (eds) Coastal Wetlands, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, p 443–477

  • Iverson RL, Bittaker HF (1986) Seagrass distribution and abundance in Eastern Gulf of Mexico coastal waters. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 22:577–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JBC, Kirby MX, Berger WH, Bjorndahl KA, Botsford LW, Bourque BJ et al. (2001) Historical overfishing and the recent collapse of coastal ecosystems. Science 293:629–638. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1059199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee K-S, Park SR, Kim YK (2007) Effects of irradiance, temperature, and nutrients on growth dynamics of seagrasses: a review. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 350:144–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lefebvre LW, Reid JP, Kenworthy WJ, Powell JA (1999) Characterizing manatee habitat use and seagrass grazing in Florida and Puerto Rico: implications for conservation and management. Pac Conserv Biol 5:289–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lefebvre LW, Provancha JA, Stone DH, Kenworthy WJ (2017) Manatee grazing impacts on a mixed species seagrass bed. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 564:29–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston RJ (1984) The relationship of physical factors and biological response in coastal seagrass meadows. Estuaries 7:377–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston RJ (1990) Inshore marine habitats. In: Meyers RL, Ewel JJ (eds) Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando, FL, p 549–573

  • Livingston RJ, McGlynn SE, Niu X (1998) Factors controlling seagrass growth in a gulf coastal system: water and sediment quality and light. Aquat Bot 60:135–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mattson RA (1999) Ch. 20 Seagrass ecosystem characteristics, research, and management needs in the Florida Big Bend, In: Bortone, SA (ed.) Seagrasses: monitoring, ecology, physiology, and management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, p 259–277

  • Mattson RA, Frazer TK, Hale J, Blitch S, Ahijevych L (2007) Florida Big Bend. In: Handley LR, Altsman D, DeMay R (eds) Seagrass status and trends in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1940–2002. Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5287, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 855-R-04-003, Washington, D.C., p 171–188

  • Mauzole YL (2022) Objective delineation of persistent SST fronts based on global satellite observations. Remote Sens Environ 269:112798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112798

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McHenry J, Rassweiler A, Hernan G, Uejio CK, Pau S, Dubel AK, Lester SE (2021) Modelling the biodiversity enhancement value of seagrass beds. Divers Distrib 27:2036–2049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNulty JK, Lindall WN Jr., Sykes JE (1972) Cooperative Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Inventory and Study, Florida: Phase I, Area Description. NOAA Technical Report NMFS CIRC-368, US Dept of Commerce, Washington D.C.

  • Meals DW, Spooner J, Dressing SA, Harcum JB (2011) Statistical analysis for monotonic trends. Tech Notes 6, November 2011. Developed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by Tetra Tech, Inc. Fairfax, VA, p 23

  • Montefalcone M, Parravicini V, Vacchi M, Albertelli G, Ferrari M, Morri C, Bianchi CB (2010) Human influence on seagrass habitat fragmentation in NW Mediterranean Sea. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 86:292–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris L, Hall LM, Miller JD, Lasi MA, Chamberlain RH, Virnstein RW, Jacoby CA (2021) Diversity and distribution of seagrasses as related to salinity, temperature, and availability of light in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Fla Sci 84:119–137

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morris LJ, Hall LM, Jacoby CA, Chamberlain RH, Hanisak MD, Miller JD, Virnstein RW (2022) Seagrass in a changing estuary, the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, United States. Front Mar Sci. 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.789818

  • National Hurricane Center (2023) Hurricane Idalia https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2023/al10/al102023.update.08301145.shtml

  • Neckles HA, Kopp BS, Peterson BJ, Pooler PS (2012) Integrating scales of seagrass monitoring to meet conservation needs. Estuar Coasts 35:23–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NV5 Geospatial (2023) SWFWMD: Biennial seagrass – Suncoast 2022 (W331) photointerpretation key of seagrass coverage TWA: 21TW0003612. A Report. St. Petersburg, FL, p 32

  • Orth RJ, Carruthers TJB, Dennison WC, Duarte CM, Fourqurean JW, Heck Jr KL, Hughes AR, Kendrick GA, Kenworthy WJ, Olyarnik S, Short FT, Waycott M, Williams SL (2006) A global crisis for seagrass ecosystems. Bioscience 56:987–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palumbi SR, McLeod KL, Grὓnbaum D (2008) Ecosystems in action: lessons from marine ecology about recovery, resistance, and reversibility. Bioscience 58:33–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips RC (1960) Observations on the ecology and distribution of the Florida seagrasses. Report Number 44, Florida State Board of Conservation Marine Laboratory, St. Petersburg, Florida

  • Poiner IR, Peterkin C (1996) Seagrasses In: Zann LP, Kailola P (eds) The State of the Marine Environment Report for Australia. Technical Annex 1:40–45

  • Potouroglou M, Bull JC, Krauss KW, Kennedy HA, Fusi M, Daffonchio D, Mangora MM, Githaiga MN, Diele K, Huxham M (2017) Measuring the role of seagrasses in regulating sediment surface elevation. Nat Sci Rep 7:11917. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12354-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ralph PJ, Tomasko D, Moore K, Seddon S, Macinnis-Ng CMO (2006) Human impacts on seagrasses: eutrophication, sedimentation and contamination. In: Larkum AWD, Orth RJ, Duarte CM (eds) Seagrasses: biology, ecology, and conservation. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, p 567–593

  • Ralph PJ, Durako MJ, Enriquez S, Collier CJ, Doblin MA (2007) Impact of light limitation on seagrasses. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 350:173–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ricart AM, Ward M, Hill TM, Sanford E, Kroeker KJ, Takeshita Y, Merolla S, Shukla P, Ninokawa AT, Elsmore K, Gaylord B (2021) Coast-wide evidence of low pH amelioration by seagrass ecosystems. Glob Change Biol 27:2580–2591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins BD, Bell SS (2000) Dynamics of a subtidal seagrass landscape: seasonal and annual change in relation to water depth. Ecology 81:1193–1205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodemann JR, James WR, Santos RO et al. (2021) Impact of extreme disturbances on suspended sediment in Western Florida Bay: implications for seagrass resilience. Front Mar Sci 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.633240

  • Rodriguez RW, Webb RMT, Bush DM (1994) Another look at the impact of Hurricane Hugo on the shelf and coastal resources of Puerto Rico, USA. J Coast Res 10:278–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaffler JJ, van Montfrans J, Jones CM, Orth RJ (2013) Fish species distribution in seagrass habitats of Chesapeake Bay are structured by abiotic and biotic factors. Mar Coast Fish 5:114–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood ET, Greening HS, Johansson JOR, Kaufman K, Raulerson GE (2017) Tampa Bay (Florida, USA): Documenting seagrass recovery since the 1980’s and reviewing the results. Southeast Geogr 57:294–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Short FT, Wyllie-Echeverria S (1996) Natural and human-induced disturbance of seagrasses. Environ Conserv 23:17–27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892900038212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stipek C, Santos R, Babcock E, Lirman D (2020) Modelling the resilience of seagrass communities exposed to pulsed freshwater discharges: a seascape approach. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229147

  • Su J, Cai W-J, Brodeur J, Chen B, Hussain N, Yao Y, Ni C, Testa JM, Li M, Xie X, Ni W, Scaboo KM, Xu Y-Y, Cornwell J, Gurbisz C, Owens MS, Waldbusser GG, Dai M, Kemp WM (2020) Chesapeake Bay acidification buffered by spatially decoupled carbonate mineral cycling. Nat Geosci 13:441–447. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0584-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suwannee River Water Management District. Water Data Portal (2023) https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/507/Water-Data-Portal. Accessed May 2023

  • Suwannee River Water Management District (2017a) Coastal Rivers Basin Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. Live Oak, FL. https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/DocumentCenter/View/12025/Coastal-Rivers-Basin-SWIM-Plan. Accessed May 2023

  • Suwannee River Water Management District (2017b) Suwannee River basin Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. Live Oak, FL. https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/DocumentCenter/View/12027/Suwannee-River-Basin-SWIM-Plan. Accessed May 2023

  • Suwannee River Water Management District (2023) Suwannee River Basin 2023 Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. Live Oak, FL. https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/DocumentCenter/View/18912/2023-Suwannee-Basin-SWIM-Plan?bidId. Accessed October 2023

  • Todd AC, Morey SL, Chassignet EP (2014) Circulation and cross-shelf transport in the Florida Big Bend. J Mar Res 72:445–475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomasko D, Alderson M, Burnes R, Hecker J, Iadevaia N, Leverone J, Raulerson G, Sherwood E (2020) The effects of Hurricane Irma on seagrass meadows in previously eutrophic estuaries in Southwest Florida (USA). Mar Pollut Bull 156:111247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Unsworth RKF, Collier CJ, Henderson GM, McKenzie LJ (2012) Tropical seagrass meadows modify seawater carbon chemistry: Implications for coral reefs impacted by ocean acidification. Environ Res Lett 7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/024026

  • USGS Water Data. Water year summary for Site USGS 02323000 Suwannee River near Bell, FL. (2023) https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/wys_rpt?wys_water_yr=2009&site_no=02323000&agency_cd=USGS&adr_water_years=2006%2C2007%2C2008%2C2009%2C2010%2C2011%2C2012%2C2013%2C2014%2C2015%2C2016%2C2017%2C2018%2C2019&referred_module. Accessed May 2023

  • Van Katwijk MM, van der Welle MEW, Lucassen ECHET, Vonk JA, Christianen MJA, Kiswara W, Inayat al Hakim I, Arifin A, Bouma TJ, Roelofs JGM, Lamers LPM (2011) Early warning indicators for river nutrient and sediment loads in tropical seagrass beds: a benchmark from a near-pristine archipelago in Indonesia. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1512–1520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Tussenbroek BI, Santo M, van Dijk J, Alcaraz SN, Calderon M (2008) Selective elimination of rooted plants from a tropical seagrass bed in a back-reef lagoon: a hypothesis tested by Hurricane Wilma (2005). J Coast Res 24:278–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waycott M, Duarte CM, Carruthers TJB, Orth RJ, Dennison WC, Olyarnik S, Calladine A, Fourqurean JW, Heck Jr KL, Hughes AR, Kendrick GA, Kenworthy WJ, Short FT, Williams SL (2009) Accelerating loss of seagrass across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 106:12377–12381

  • Weaver KF, Morales V, Dunn SL, Godde K, Weaver PF (2017) An introduction to statistical analysis in research: with applications in the biological and life sciences. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119454205.ch10

  • Weisberg RH, He R (2003) Local and deep-ocean forcing contributions to anomalous water properties on the West Florida Shelf. J Geophys Res 108(C6):3184. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JC001407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisberg RH, He R, Kirkpatrick GJ, Muller-Karger FE, Walsh JJ (2004) Coastal ocean circulation influences on remotely sensed optical properties: a West Florida Shelf case study. Oceanogr 17:68–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Weisberg RH, Niiler PP, Sturges W, Johnson W (1999) Lagrangian circulation and forbidden zone on the West Florida Shelf. Cont Shelf Res 19:1221–1245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yarbro LA, Carlson PR Jr (eds) (2016) Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program Mapping and Monitoring Report No. 2. FWRI Technical Report TR-17 version 2.0, St. Petersburg, FL

  • Zimmerman MS, Livingston RL (1979) Dominance and distribution of benthic macrophyte assemblages in a north Florida estuary (Apalachee Bay, Florida). Bull Mar Sci 29:27–40

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Many people and agencies contributed to this project. Sampling began on a small scale in 2002 with funding from the Suwannee River Water Management District. By 2004, in-water assessment protocols were well established, and this effort was incorporated into the Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in 2009. Agencies contributing funds include the Suwannee River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ROSES 2008 A.28 NNX09AT59G; NASA ROSES 2016 A.31 NNH16ZDA001N-RSWQ), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefits Program (GEBF FN003 49540). People contributing to this project include Herman Arnold, Kevin Madley, Keri Ferenc, Manuel Merello, Chris McCan, Courtney Saari, Grayson Austin, Mike Poniatowski, Sheila Scolaro, Mike Mosser, Allison Patranella, Sarah Nappier, Samantha Scrudato, Brian Durnan, Anthony Knapp, Corday Selden, Phillip Meylan, Tess Danielson, Paul Julian, Marc Julian, Marc Folker, Alice Ketron, Stephanie Sunderman, Darlene Saindon, Crystal York, Alison Giovannetti, and Makenzie Marsh. Data access: mapping data https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7987707, cover data https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7987740.

Funding

Agencies contributing funds include the Suwannee River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ROSES 2008 A.28 NNX09AT59G; NASA ROSES 2016 A.31 NNH16ZDA001N-RSWQ), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefits Program (GEBF FN003 49540).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 Eighth Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    L. A. Yarbro, P. R. Carlson & E. Johnsey

Authors
  1. L. A. Yarbro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. R. Carlson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Johnsey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

PC contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by PC, LY, and EJ. LY prepared the figures and tables and wrote the text of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. A. Yarbro.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yarbro, L.A., Carlson, P.R. & Johnsey, E. Extensive and Continuing Loss of Seagrasses in Florida’s Big Bend (USA). Environmental Management 73, 876–894 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01920-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01920-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation