PhD in Environment
Doctor of Philosophy
Status | Complete |
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Part Time | No |
Years | 2016 - 2020 |
Project Title | Assessing the carbon sink potential and impacts of global change on intertidal seagrass meadows in central southern England |
Project Description | Seagrass meadows provide a multitude of ecosystem services, including the capacity to sequester carbon within their sediments and biomass. However, seagrass research in the UK is still in its infancy, with very few published data on sediment carbon stocks, and no reports of sediment accretion and carbon sequestration rates within intertidal seagrass meadows. In addition to their carbon sink potential, seagrass meadows are also important habitats for commercially important and endangered fish species in the UK. However, frequent reports on the decline of their health and extent, have raised concerns on the efficiency of current protection and management projects, especially in the face of global climatic change. Therefore, this research provides evidence of the importance of intertidal seagrass meadows in England for climate change mitigation and the need for more robust conservation strategies for UK seagrass meadows. |
Awarding Institution | University of Brighton |