A disease caused by climate change is destroying seaweed
Recent research shows that seagrass in large parts of the intertidal prairie of the Pacific Northwest, suffers from a wasting disease.
The once-vibrant root systems of herbs are also deteriorating.
The results of the research were published in the American journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
"We're not only seeing more disease outbreaks that kill off seaweed, but also a strong impact on where vital nutrients are stored," said co-lead researcher Olivia Graham, a PhD student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University. In the roots of these plants - and for this reason, these plants are endangered late in the growing season, to have a harder time during the winter."
According to the research, "Eel" naturally thrives in the San Juan Islands, Washington, in the Salish Sea, along the US border with Canada.
Graham describes the environment of seagrass meadows as plentiful underwater rainforests, cleaning the waters and helping fish species such as herring, salmon, oysters and mussels.
Nearby, orcas feed on chinook (the largest salmon in the Pacific Ocean) that live in intertidal grasslands.
The research showed that seaweed wasting disease has existed for many years, due to the warm waters due to climate change, which strengthens the slime mold, the enemy of weed disease.
The research showed that plant roots are vulnerable under these layers of mud.
The research team tagged hundreds of plants during low tide, and tracked them over a period of weeks.
This method showed that pest-infested seaweed grows more slowly and produces less sugary products for storage than its uninfested counterpart.
"This gives an answer to a long-standing question about whether this disease actually causes harm...Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes," said lead researcher Drew Harvell, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology.
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