Evaluating habitat provisioning and restoration potential of a subtropical seagrass species in a temperate estuary

Abstract

These data accompany the publication of the same name funded by North Carolina Sea Grant and the Albemarle Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, and the North Carolina Coastal Recreation Fishing License program. This project focused on 1) surveying North Carolina seagrass meadows to characterize their spatiotemporal distribution and morphology and 2) conducting a restoration experiment testing the effect of transplantation depth (intertidal vs. subtidal) on Halodule wrightii restoration success and associated faunal communities. In 2019 and 2020 we surveyed natural seagrass beds in the field and collected seagrass cores for additional measurements. In 2021 we conducted a restoration experiment, monitored restoration success, and monitored the faunal communities. We continued to monitor restoration success into 2022.