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Ecosystem Services of Seagrasses

From Use to Conservation

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Handbook of Halophytes

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Abstract

General data is analyzed about seagrasses, the ecological group of monocotyledons which grow mostly in marine environments. They are the basis of higher productive ecosystems, their communities are characterized by high diversity and ecological roles, and many species have a long history of commercial uses. The socioeconomic value of seagrasses is connected with the profits from fishing and its benefits for the people’s livelihoods; some species are used for agriculture, industries, and medicine. Seagrass communities and habitats as key elements of the coastal ecosystems are included in the list of Natura 2000 and in the European Red List of Habitats; they are under protection through much international and national legislation. By summarized data, seagrass ecosystems are classed among the most vulnerable, and their worldwide decline have been documented everywhere. Seagrass restoration is a very important part of the global management strategy and global marine policy for coastal ecosystem protection, so problems of transplantation and recovering of seagrasses are discussed. The EU Blue Growth strategy can be implemented on a global scale, due to its promotion of sustainable use of aquatic living resources and conservation of marine ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

The research was partially supported by A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of Ruissian Academia of Sciences state task (project No. AAAA-A18-118020890074-2). The author is sincerely grateful to Ms. Kathleen Parsons for her editing of English text of this chapter.

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  1. A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of Russian Academia of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russia

    Nataliya Milchakova

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  1. Nataliya Milchakova
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  1. Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania

    Marius-Nicusor Grigore

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  1. Instituto Agroforestal Mediterráneo (UPV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Monica Boscaiu

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Milchakova, N. (2020). Ecosystem Services of Seagrasses. In: Grigore, MN. (eds) Handbook of Halophytes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17854-3_124-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17854-3_124-1

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