Do green sea turtle faeces increase seagrass seed germination and seedling success through fertilisation (Old ID 31172)
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
This project will measure if seagrass seed germination and seedling growth is enhanced by the addition of nutrients from sea turtle faeces. Seagrass meadows are experiencing a global decline, and therefore an increase in restoration efforts. Restoration by seeds has not yielded a high rate of success in Australia, primarily due to low germination rates. Recent research has found that seed coat scarification or passage through a dugong and green sea turtle enhances seed germination. Manual scarification of seeds is time consuming but adding sea turtle faeces to the seeds before dispersal would be a simple and cost-effective alternative.
Date
01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Seagrass;Sea turtle;Restoration;Seagrass seed;Seagrass seedling;Seagrass fertilisation
Funding Body
Australian Academy of Science
Amount
20000
Project Team
N/A