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discussion
The project was a success and we were able to investigate into some of the environmental factors which may lead to the germination of Halodule uninervis seeds. Overall we discovered that the majority of seeds were encountered in the 5-6 cm sediment slice, which roughly corresponds to the layer just below the oxic and anoxic interface, near the rhizome. Unfortunately because of the different lengths of the cores, our measures had to be pulled back to a standard unit of measurement. The average length of the cores between the two years was found to be 9.4 cm, so anything found in the 9-10 cm slice had to be disregarded. We were only limited by the human accuracy to measure, if given the opportunity to do the experiment again, we would look at the numbers of seed found per volume of sediment or use more efficient coring devices. From here we need to look more specifically at whether the ideal conditions for germination are in the anoxic layer; low levels of light and low pH, such research into the triggers for germination needs to be examined experimentally in laboratory.
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Did You Know?
High growth rates of seagrasses are linked to high production rates in associated fisheries.
One square metre of seagrass can produce up to 10 litres of oxygen per day.
In the 1800s seagrass was used by furniture makers in New York to stuff their cushions.
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