Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A Meta-analysis of Tropical Cyclone Effects on Seagrass Meadows

  • Coastal Wetlands
  • Published:
Wetlands Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Tropical cyclones can severely disturb temperate and tropical ecosystems through damaging winds and excessive rainfall, but effects are often diverse, complex, and context-dependent. Coastal seagrass meadows are widespread, located along most temperate and tropical coastlines and often experience cyclones. Cyclone-associated damage following these events are variable, ranging from no seagrass damage to complete habitat destruction. Based on 51 studies examining cyclone effects on seagrasses, we did not uncover clear relationships between the number or severity of cyclones and declines in seagrass cover. Seagrasses were often minimally damaged following cyclones and were resilient to cyclone disturbances. When seagrass declines were reported, prolonged changes in seawater quality and plant burial were most often the causal factors. Methodological differences among studies and lack of data prior to a cyclone strike limited direct comparisons among articles. Suggestions to standardize future investigations of hurricane effects on seagrass meadows are provided.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The data for this review was obtained from previously published work. The data analyzed was based on conclusions from those articles, and we have provided those data to the journal.

References

  • Alura DP, Alura NC, Alura RPC (2015) Mangrove forest and seagrass bed of eastern Samar, Philippines: extent of damage by Typhoon Yolanda. International Journal of Novel Research in Life Sciences 2(5):30–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Anton AA, Cebrian J, Duarte CM, Heck KH Jr, Goff J (2009) Low impact of Hurricane Katrina on seagrass community structure and functioning in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science 85(1):45–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Armitage AR, Weaver CA, Kominoski JS, Pennings SC (2020) Resistance to hurricane effects varies among wetland vegetation types in the marsh-mangrove ecotone. Estuaries Coasts 43:960–970

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong RA (1981) Changes in Cayo Enrique, La Parguera, Puerto Rico, from 1936 to 1980 using aerial photoanalysis. Master’s Thesis. Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez campus. 76 p

  • Ball MM, Shinn EA, Stockmann KW (1967) The geological effects of Hurricane Donna in south Florida. The Journal of Geology 75(5):583–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barras JA (2007) Land area changes in coastal Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In: Farris, GS, Smith, GJ, Crane, MP, Demas, CR, Robbins, LL, Lavoie, DL ed. Science and the Storms: The USGS Response to the Hurricanes of 2005. US Geol Surv Circ 1306. pp 98–113

  • Barras JA (2009) Land area change and overview of major hurricane impacts in coastal Louisiana, 2004–08. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3080, scale 1:250,000, 6 pages. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3080/

  • Belgrad BA, Correia KM, Darnell KM, Darnell MZ, Hayes CT, Hall MO, Furman BT, Martin CW, Smee DL (2021) Environmental drivers of seagrass-associated nekton abundance across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries Coasts 44(8)

  • Bethel M, Martinez L (2008) Assessment of current seagrass critical habitat in response to dramatic shoreline change resulting from the 2005 hurricane season for the Chandeleur Islands. University of New Orleans’ Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences. 12 p

  • Birch WR, Birch M (1984) Succession and pattern of tropical intertidal seagrasses in Conckle Bay, Queensland, Australia: A decade of observations. Aquatic Botany 19:343–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Björk M, Short F, McLeod E, Beer S (2008) Managing seagrasses for resilience to climate change. IUCN Resilience Science Group Working Paper Series - No 3

  • Byron D, Heck KH Jr (2006) Hurricane effects on seagrasses along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Estuaries Coasts 29(6A):939–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cabello-Pasini A, Lara-Turrent C, Zimmerman RC (2002) Effects of storms on photosynthesis, carbohydrate content and survival of eelgrass population from a coastal lagoon and the adjacent open ocean. Aquatic Botany 74:149–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahoon DR (2006) A review of major storm impacts on coastal wetland elevations. Estuaries Coasts 29:889–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson PR Jr, 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  Google Scholar 

  • Cole AM, Durako MJ, Hall MO (2018) Multivariate analysis of water quality and benthic macrophyte communities in Florida Bay, USA reveals hurricane effects and susceptibility to seagrass die-off. Frontiers in Plant Science 9:630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Congdon VM, Bonsell C, Cuddy MR, Dunton KH (2019) In the wake of a major hurricane: differential effects on early vs. late successional seagrass species. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 4(5):155–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly RM (1994) Removal of seagrass canopy: effects on small fish and their prey. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 184:99–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly RM, Jackson EL, Macreadie PI, Maxwell PS, O’Brien KR (2018) Seagrass dynamics and resilience. In: Larkum A, Ralph P, Kendrick G (eds) Seagrasses of Australia – Structure, ecology and conservation. Springer, Germany. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_7

    Google Scholar 

  • Correia KM, Alford SB, Belgrad BA, Darnell KM, Darnell MZ, Furman BT, Hall MO, Hayes CT, Martin CW, McDonald AM, Smee DL (2022) Hurricane effects on seagrass and associated nekton communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico Estuaries Coasts. Estuaries and Coasts. In review.

  • Correia KM (2021) What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger: Seagrass Community Resilience in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. PhD dissertation. University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. https://www.proquest.com/openview/ca88307b910ab0796efabe71e1c2e241/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y. Accessed 11 Nov 2021

  • Costanza R, de Groot R, Sutton P, van der Ploeg S, Anderson SJ, Kubiszewski I, Farber S, Turner RK (2014) Changes in the global value of ecosystem services. Global Environmental Change 26:152–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Côté-Laurin M-C, Benbow S, Erzini K (2017) The short-term impacts of a cyclone on seagrass communities in Southwest Madagascar. Continental Shelf Research 138:132–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtemanche RP Jr, Hester MW, Mendelssohn IA (1999) Recovery of a Louisiana barrier Marsh plant community following extensive hurricane-induced overwash. Journal of Coastal Research 15(4):872–883

    Google Scholar 

  • Craighead FC, Gilbert VC (1962) The effects of Hurricane Donna on the vegetation of southern Florida. Quarterly Journal Florida Academy of Science 25(1):1–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruz-Palacios V, Van Tussenbroek BI (2005) Simulation of hurricane-like disturbances on a Caribbean seagrass bed. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 324(1):44–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawes CJ, Bell SS, Davis RA Jr, McCoy ED, Mushinsky HR, Simon JL (1995) Initial effects of Hurricane Andrew on the shoreline habitats of southwestern Florida. Journal of Coastal Research SI 21:103–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Dingtian Y, Daojian H (2011) Impacts of typhoons Tianying and Dawei on seagrass distribution in Xincan Bay, Hainan Province, China. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 30(1):32–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du J, Park K, Jensen C, Dellapenna TM, Zhang WG, Shi Y (2021) Massive oyster kill in Galveston Bay caused by prolonged low-salinity exposure after Hurricane Harvey. Science of the Total Environment 774:145132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duarte CM, Terrados J, Agawin NSR, Fortes MD, Bach S, Kenworthy WJ (1997) Response of a mixed Philippine seagrass meadow to experimental burial. Marine Ecology Progress Series 147:285–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duarte CM, Kennedy H, Marbà N, Hendriks I (2013) Assessing the capacity of seagrass meadows for carbon burial: Current limitations and future strategies. Ocean & Coastal Management 83:32–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eleuterius LN, Miller GJ (1976) Observations on seagrasses and seaweeds in Mississippi Sound since Hurricane Camille. Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences 21:58–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Emanuel K (2005) Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years. Nature 436(4):686–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fourqurean JW, Rutten LM (2004) The impact of Hurricane Georges on soft-bottom, back reef communities: site- and species-specific effects in South Florida seagrass beds. Bulletin of Marine Science 75(2):239–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Fourqurean JW, Zieman JC, Powell GVN (1992) Phosphorus limitation of primary production in Florida Bay: evidence from C:N: P ratios of the dominant seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Limnology and Oceanography 37(1):162–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fourqurean JW, Duarte CM, Kennedy H, Marba N, Holmer M et al (2012) Seagrass ecosystems as a globally significant carbon stock. Nature Geoscience 5:505–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glynn PW, Almodovar LR, Gonzalez JG (1964) Effects of hurricane Edith on marine life in La Parguera, Puetro Rico, Caribb. Science 4:335–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldenberg SB, Landsea CW, Mestas-Nunez AM, Gray WM (2001) The recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity: causes and implications. Science 293:474–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall MO, Furman BT, Merello M, Durako MJ (2016) Recurrence of Thalassia testudinum seagrass die-off in Florida Bay, USA: initial observations. Marine Ecology Progress Series 560:243–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammerstrom KK, Kenworthy WJ, Whitfield PE, Merello MF (2007) Response and recovery dynamics of seagrass Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme and macroalgae in experimental motor vessel disturbances. MEPS 345:83–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Healey D, Hovel KA (2004) Seagrass bed patchiness: effects on epifaunal communities in San Diego Bay, USA. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 313:155–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck KL Jr, Hays G, Orth RJ (2003) Critical evaluation of the nursery role hypothesis for seagrass meadows. Marine Ecology Progress Series 253:123–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck JKL, Sullivan MJ, Zande JM, Moncreiff CA (1996) An ecological analysis of seagrass meadow of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Years one, two, and three: Seasonal assessment and inventory interaction studies and assessment/inventory. National Parks Service Gulf Islands National Seashore. 111 p

  • Henderson CJ, Gilby BL, Lee SY, Stevens T (2017) Contrasting effects of habitat complexity and connectivity on biodiversity in seagrass meadows. Marine Biology 164:117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Delgado EA, Toledo-Hernández C., Ruíz-Díaz CP, Gómez-Andújar NX, Medina-Muñiz JL, Suleimán-Ramos SE (2018) Seagrass rapid assessment of Hurricane María impacts – Northeast Reserves System Habitat Focus Area (NER-HFA), Culebra Island, Puerto Rico – Final Report. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Interior, Coordination of Natural and Cultural Resource Recovery. 130 pp

  • Hogan et al (2021) A research framework to integrate cross-ecosystem responses to tropical cyclones. Bioscience 70:477–489. https://doi.org/10.1093/BIOSCI/BIAA034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horinouchi M, Tongnunui P, Nanjyo K, Nakamura Y, Sano M, Ogawa H (2009) Differences in fish assemblage structures between fragmented and continuous seagrass beds in Trang, southern Thailand. Fisheries Science 75:1409–1416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horton NJ, Lipsitz SR (2012) Review of software to ft generalized estimating equation regression models. The American Statistician 53:160–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes JE, Deegan LA, Wyda JC, Weaver MJ, Wright A (2002) The effects of eelgrass habitat loss on estuarine fish communities of southern New England. Estuaries 25(2):235–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James RK, Lynch A, Herman PMJ, van Katwijk MM, van Tussenbroek BI, Dijkstra HA, van Westen RM, van der Boog CG, Klees R, Pietrzak JD, Slobbe C, Bouma TJ (2020) Tropical biogeomorphic seagrass landscapes for coastal protection: persistence and wave attenuation during major storm events. Ecosystems 24:301–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K, Choi J, Ryu J, Jeong HJ, Lee K, Park MG, Kim KY (2015) Observation of typhoon-induced seagrass die-off using remote sensing. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 154:111–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knutson T, Camargo SJ, Cha JCL, Emanuel K, Ho C, Kossin J, Mohapatra M, Satoh M, Sugi M, Walsh K, Wu L (2020) Tropical cyclones and climate change assessment: Part II: Projected response to anthropogenic warming. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 101(3):303–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulczycki GR, Virnstein RW, Nelson WG (1981) The relationship between fish abundance and algal biomass in a seagrass-grift algae community. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 12(3):341–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • La Peyre MK, Eberline BS, Soniat TM, La Peyre JF (2013) Differences in extreme low salinity timing and duration differentially affect eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) size class growth and mortality in Breton Sound, LA. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 135:146–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonardi N, Ganju NK, Fagherazzi S (2016) A linear relationship between wave power and erosion determines salt-marsh resilience to violent storms and hurricanes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(1):64–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin SA, Paine RT (1974) Disturbance, patch formation, and community structure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 71(7):2744–2747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lirman D, Cropper WP (2003) The influence of salinity on seagrass growth, survivorship, and distribution within Biscayne Bay, Florida: field, experimental, and modeling studies. Estuaries 26:131–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston RJ, Howell RL IV, Xufeng N, Lewis GF III, Woodsum GC (1999) Recovery of oyster reefs (Crassostrea virginica) in a Gulf Estuary following disturbance by two hurricanes. Bulletin of Marine Science 64:465–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Loria L (2019) Evaluation of Florida Bay seagrass after Hurricane Irma. Master’s Thesis. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA, p 58

  • Marbà N, Duarte CM (1994) Growth response of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa to experimental burial and erosion. Marine Ecology Progress Series 107:307–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchand J, Codlin I, Drake P, Elliot M, Pihl L, Rebelo J (2002) Environmental quality of estuaries. In: Elliott M, Hemingway KL (eds) Fishes in Estuaries. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK, pp 322–409

  • Mateo MA, Romero J, Pérez M, Littler MM, Littler DS (1997) Dynamics of millenary organic deposits resulting from the growth of the mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 44:103–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCoy ED, Bell SS (1991) Habitat structure: the evolution and diversification of a complex topic. In: Bell SS, McCoy ED, Mushinsky HR (eds) Habitat structure: the physical arrangement of objects in space. Chapman & Hall, London, pp 3–7

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Meert DR, Hester MW (2009) Response of a Louisiana oligohaline marsh plant community to nutrient availability and disturbance. Journal of Coastal Research 54:174–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers JM, Langtimm CA, Smith III TJ, Pednault-Willett K (2005) Wildlife and habitat damage assessment from Hurricane Charley: recommendations for recovery of the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex. U.S. Geological Survey Publication Open-File Report 2006–1126. 89 pp

  • Michot TC, Burch JN, Arrivillaga A, Rafferty PS, Doyle TW, Kemmerer RS (2002) Impacts of Hurricane Mitch on seagrass beds and associated shallow reef communities along the Caribbean coasts of Honduras and Guatemala. USGS Open File Report OFR 03–181. 61 p

  • Milbrandt EC, Greenawalt-Boswell JM, Sokoloff PD, Bortone SA (2006) Impact and response of southwest Florida mangroves to the 2004 hurricane season. Estuaries Coasts 29(6A):979–984

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills KE, Fonseca MS (2003) Mortality and productivity of eelgrass Zostera marina under conditions of experimental burials with two sediment types. Marine Ecology Progress Series 255:127–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minello TJ (1999) Nekton densities in shallow estuarine habitats of Texas and Louisiana and Identification of essential fish habitat (EFH). In: L. Benaka (ed.), Fish Habitat: Essential Fish Habitat and Rehabilitation. Am Fish Soc Symp 22, Bethesda, Maryland, pp 43–75

  • Mittelbach GG (1981) Foraging efficiency and body size: a study of optimal diet and habitat use by bluegills. Ecology 62:1370–1386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moncreiff CA, Randall TA, Caldwell JD, McCall RK, Blackburn BR, VanderKooy KE, Criss GA (1999) Short-term effects of Hurricane Georges on seagrass populations in the North Chandeleur Islands: Patterns as a function of sampling scale. Jacksonville, FL. Gulf Research Reports. pp 70–77

  • Montague CL, Ley JA (1993) A possible effect of salinity fluctuation on abundance of benthic vegetation and associated fauna in Northeastern Florida Bay. Estuaries 16:703–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan MD, Kitting CL (1984) Productivity and utilization of the seagrass Halodule wrightii and its attached epiphytes. Limnology and Oceanography 29(5):1066–1076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munroe D, Tabatabai A, Burt I, Bushek D, Powell EN, Wilkin J (2013) Oyster mortality in Delaware Bay: Impacts and recovery from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 135:209–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura Y (2010) Patterns in fish response to seagrass bed loss at the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Marine Biology 157:2397–2406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer CH (1963) Effects of Hurricane Carla on the ecology of Redfish Bay, Texas. Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean 13(1):59–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Oprandi A, Mucerino L, de Leo D, Bianchi CN, Morri C, Azzola A, Benelli F, Besio G, Ferrari M, Montefalcone M (2020) Effects of a severe storm on seagrass meadows. Science of the Total Environment 748:141373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orrock JL, Preisser EL, Grabowski JH, Trussell GC (2013) The cost of safety: Refuges increase the impact of predation risk in aquatic systems. Ecology 94(3):573–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orth RJ (1992) A perspective on plant-animal interactions in seagrass: physical and biological determinants influencing plant and animal abundance. In: John DM, Hawkins SJ, Price JH (eds) Plant-animal interactions in the marine benthos. Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp 147–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Orth RJ (1976) The effect of Tropical Storm Agnes on the benthic fauna of eelgrass, Zostera marina, in the lower Chesapeake a marina, in the lower Chesapeake Bay. From: The effects of Tropical Storm Agnes on the Chesapeake Bay Estuarine System. The Chesapeake Research Consortium, Inc. 31 pp

  • Patrick CJ, Yeager L, Armitage AR, Carvallo F, Congdon VM, Dunton KH, Fisher M, Hardison AK, Hogan JD, Hosen J, Hu X, Reese BK, Kinard S, Kominoski JS, Lin X, Liu Z, Montagna PA, Pennings SC, Walker L, Weaver CA, Wetz M (2020) A system level analysis of coastal ecosystem responses to hurricane impacts. Estuaries Coasts 43:943–959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patriquin D (1975) “Migration” of blowouts in seagrass beds at Barbados and Carricou, West Indies, and its ecological and geological implications. Aquatic Botany 1:163–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perkins RD, Enos P (1968) Hurricane Betsy in the Florida-Bahama area: Geologic effects and comparison with Hurricane Donna. The Journal of Geology 76(6):710–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson BJ, Fourqurean JW (2001) Large-scale patterns in seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) demographics in south Florida. Limnology and Oceanography 46(5):1077–1090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pihl L, Baden S, Kautsky N, Rönnbäck P, Söderqvist T, Troell M, Wennhage H (2006) Shift in fish assemblage structure due to loss of seagrass Zostera marina habitats in Sweden. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 67:123–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poiner IR, Walker DI, Coles RG (1989) Regional studies: seagrasses of tropical Australia. Biology of Seagrasses: Aquatic Plant Studies 2. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 279–303

  • Preen AR, Lee Long WJ, Coles RG (1995) Flood and cyclone related loss, and partial recovery, of more than 1000 km 2 of seagrass in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. Aquatic Botany 52:3–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Provancha JA, Scheidt DM (1999) Long-Term trends in Seagrass beds in the Mosquito Lagoon and Northern Banana River, Florida. Chapter 14 In: Bortone SA (ed) Seagrasses: Monitoring, Ecology, Physiology, and Management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, p 384

  • Pu R, Bell S, Meyer C (2014) Mapping and assessing seagrass bed changes in Central Florida’s west coast using multitemporal Landsat TM imagery. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 149:68–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ray BR, Johnson MW, Cammarata K, Smee DL (2014) Changes in seagrass species composition in northwestern Gulf of Mexico estuaries: effects on associated seagrass fauna. PLoS ONE 9(9):e107751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridler MS, Dent RC, Arrington DA (2006) Effects of two hurricanes on Syringodium filiforme, Manatee Grass, within the Loxahatchee River Estuary, Southeast Florida. Estuaries Coasts 29(6A):1019–1025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robblee MB, Barber TR, Carlson PR Jr, Durako MJ, Fourqurean JW, Muehlstein LK, Porter D, Yarbro LA, Zieman RT, Zieman JC (1991) Mass mortality of the tropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Florida Bay (USA). Marine Ecology Progress Series 71:297–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez RW, Webb RMT, Bush DM (1994) Another Look at the Impact of Hurricane Hugo on the Shelf and Coastal Resources of Puerto Rico, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal Research 10(2):278–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Rollon RN, de Ruyter van Steveninck ED, van Vierssen W, Fortes MD (1998) Contrasting recolonization strategies in multi-species seagrass meadows. Marine Pollution Bulletin 37:450–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozas LP, Reed DJ (1994) Comparing nekton assemblages of subtidal habitats in pipeline canals traversing brackish and saline marshes in coastal Louisiana. Wetlands 14:262–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rykiel EJ (1985) Toward a definition of ecological disturbance. Australian Journal of Ecology 10:361–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sargent FJ, Leary TJ, Crewz DW, Kruer CR (1995) Scarring of Florida’s Seagrasses: Assessment and Management. Technical Report. FMRI 1h/94. Florida Marine Research Institute, St. Petersburg, 62 pg

  • Seddon S, Connolly RM, Edyvane KS (2000) Large-scale seagrass dieback in northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Aquatic Botany 66:297–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senne A (2020) Mapping the effects of hurricane michael and biological drivers of change on seagrass in St. Joseph Bay, Florida. Honors Thesis. University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, p 37

  • Shifiet TN (1963) Major ecological factors controlling plant communities in Louisiana marshes. Journal of Range Management 16:231–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sierra-Rozo O, Gavio B, Mancera-Pineda JE (2012) Structure of the Thalassia testudinum praderas in the island of Providencia, Colombian Caribbean, after the pass of Hurricane Beta. Cadasia 34(1):155–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith TJ III, Robblee MB, Wanless HR, Doyle TW (1994) Mangroves, Hurricanes, and Lightning Strikes: Assessment of Hurricane Andrew suggests an interaction across two differing scales of disturbance. Bioscience 44(4):256–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal R, Rohlf FJ (2013) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 3rd edn. BWH Freeman, New York, p 880

    Google Scholar 

  • Steward JS, Virnstein RW, Lasi MA, Morris LJ, Miller JD, Hall LM, Tweedale WA (2006) The impacts of the 2004 hurricanes on hydrology, water quality, and seagrass in the Central Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Estuaries Coasts 29(6):954–965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoddart DR (1963) Effects of Hurricane Hattie on the British Honduras Reefs and Cays, October 30–31, 1961. Atoll Research Bulletin 95:212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabb DC, Jones AC (1962) Effect of Hurricane Donna on the aquatic fauna of North Florida Bay. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 91(4):375–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terrados J (1997) Is light involved in the vertical growth response of seagrass when buried by sand? Marine Ecology Progress Series 152:295–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas LP, Moore DR, Work RC (1961) Effects of Hurricane Donna on the turtle grass beds of Biscayne Bay, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean 11(2):191–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson MJ, Phillips NW (1987) Assessment of hurricane damage in the Florida Big Bend seagrass beds. New Orleans, p 95

  • Thrush SF, Dayton PK (2002) Disturbance to Marine Benthic Habitats by Trawling and Dredging: Implications for Marine Biodiversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 33:449–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Timant JT, Curry RW, Jones R, Szmant A, Zieman JC, Flora M (1994) Hurricane Andrew’s effects on marine resources. Bioscience 44(4):7

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinoco AI (2017) Effects of Hurricane Sandy on Great South Bay, Long Island: Assessing water quality, seagrass and associated nekton communities Stony Brook University 88 p

  • 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). Marine Pollution Bulletin 156:111247. 8 pp

  • Touchette BW (2007) Seagrass-salinity interactions: physiological mechanisms used by submersed marine angiosperms for a life at sea. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 350(1–2):194–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner RE, Baustian JJ, Swenson EM, Spicer JS (2006) Wetland sedimentation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Science 314:449–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuya F, Haroun R, Espino F (2014) Economic assessment of ecosystem services: Monetary value of seagrass meadows for coastal fisheries. Ocean & Coastal Management xxx:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • van Tussenbroek BI (1994) The impact of hurricane Gilbert on the vegetative development of Thalassia testudinum in Puerto Morelos Coral Reef Lagoon, Mexico: A retrospective study. Botanica Marina 37(5):421–428

    Google Scholar 

  • van Tussenbroek BI, Barba Santos MG, van Dijk JK, Marisela Sanabria Alcaraz SN, Tellez Calderon ML (2008) Selective elimination of rooted plants from a tropical seagrass bed in a back-reef lagoon: A hypothesis tested by Hurricane Wilma (2005). Journal of Coastal Research 24(1):278–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh J, Wuebbles D, Hayhoe K, Kossin J, Kunkel K, Stephens G, Thorne P, Vose R, Wehner M, Willis J et al (2014) Our changing climate. climate change impacts in the united states: the third national climate assessment. In: Melillo JM, Richmond TC, Yohe GW (eds) U.S. Global Change Research Program, pp 19–67. https://doi.org/10.7930/J0KW5CXT

  • Wang AJ, Gao S, Chan J, Li DY (2008) The response of salt marsh sediment dynamics to Typhoon Gemei in Quanzhou Bay, Fujian. Chinese Science Bulletin 53(22):2814–2823

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanless HR, Tedesco LP, Tyrrell KM (1988) Production of subtidal tubular and surficial tempestites by Hurricane Kate, Caicos platform, British West Indies. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 58(4):739–750

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster PJ, Holland GJ, Curry JA, Change HR (2005) Changes in tropical cyclone number, duration, and intensity in a warming environment. Science 309:1844–1846

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner EE, Hall DJ (1979) Foraging efficiency and habitat switching in competing sunfishes. Ecology 60:256–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield PE, Kenworthy WJ, Hammerstrom KK, Fonseca MS (2002) The role of a hurricane in the expansion of disturbances initiated by motor vessels on seagrass banks. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 37:86–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams SL (1990) Experimental studies of Caribbean seagrass bed development. Ecological Monographs 60(4):449–469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams SL, Heck KL Jr (2001) Seagrass community ecology. In: Bertness MD, Gaines SD, Hay ME (eds) Marine community ecology. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, pp 317–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson SS, Furman BT, Hall MO, Fourqurean JW (2019) Assessment of hurricane Irma impacts on South Florida seagrass communities using long-term monitoring programs. Estuaries Coasts SI: Impact of 2017 Hurricanes 43:1119–1132

  • Yang D, Huang D (2011) Impacts of typhoons Tianying and Dawei on seagrass distribution in Xincan Bay, Hainan Province, China. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 30:32–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yue S, Zhange X, Xu S, Liu M, Qiao Y, Zhang Y, Liang J, Wang A, Zhou Y (2021) The super typhoon Lekima (2019) resulted in massive losses in large seagrass (Zostera japonica) meadows, soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools in the intertidal Yellow River Delta, China. Science of the Total Environment 793:148398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XL, Li PY, Liu YL (2006) Storm surge disaster and its impact on coastal wetlands in Yellow River Delta. Journal of Natural Disaster 15(2):10–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Durgan SD, Lagomasino D (2019) Modeling risk of mangroves to tropical cyclones: A case study of Hurricane Irma. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 224:108–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zieman JC (1976) The ecological effects of physical damage from motor boats on turtle grass beds on southern Florida. Aquatic Botany 2:127–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Randi Cannon, Dr. Jessica Lunt, and Dr. Ben Belgrad for guidance throughout the data collection and writing process. This paper is a result of research funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s RESTORE Science award # NA17NOS4510093 to the University of Southern Mississippi, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of Florida, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Additional funding for this work was provided by Dauphin Island Sea Lab startup funds, given to Dr. Delbert L. Smee. We would also like to thank reviewers who provided helpful edits to the manuscript prior to publication.

Funding

This paper is a result of research funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s RESTORE Science award # NA17NOS4510093 to the University of Southern Mississippi, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of Florida, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Additional funding for this work was provided by Dauphin Island Sea Lab startup funds, given to Dr. Delbert L. Smee.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL, 36528, USA

    Kelly M. Correia & Delbert Lee Smee

  2. Department of Life Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA

    Kelly M. Correia & Delbert Lee Smee

Authors
  1. Kelly M. Correia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Delbert Lee Smee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

KMC conceived the idea and collected, organized, and analyzed the data, as well as wrote the first draft. DLS contributed to the conception and design of the project, as well as edited subsequent drafts of the manuscript and approved the final draft for submission into the journal.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Delbert Lee Smee.

Ethics declarations

Competing Interests

The authors have no competing or financial interests to declare.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

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

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 1236 KB)

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

Correia, K.M., Smee, D.L. A Meta-analysis of Tropical Cyclone Effects on Seagrass Meadows. Wetlands 42, 108 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01611-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01611-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation