Ito MA, Lin HJ, O’Connor MI, Nakaoka M

Large-scale comparison of biomass and reproductive phenology among native and non-native populations of the seagrass Zostera japonica

Seagrasses in temperate regions generally show seasonal fluctuation in their biomass and sexual reproduction. However, in relation to latitude and/or temperatures this seasonal fluctuation has not been widely investigated, especially for intertidal seagrass species. Ito and co-authors collated studies on biomass and reproductive phenology among native and non-native populations of the intertidal seagrass Zostera japonica, covering a wide latitudinal range. Large-scale comparison revealed that seagrass maximum biomass peaks at the mid-latitude or intermediate temperature, and flowering peak timing is later in northern/cooler populations. Shorter growth duration and higher flowering ratio at higher latitude were only observed for non-native populations, potentially reflecting effects of introduction. This study demonstrates potential phenological variation among geographic regions and between native and non-native populations.

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