Seagrasses are flowering plants that thrive in shallow oceanic and estuarine waters around the world. Although there are only about 60 species of seagrasses worldwide, these plants play an important role in many shallow, near-shore, marine ecosystems. There is growing evidence that seagrasses are declining globally because of anthropogenic impacts. This paper presents an overview of seagrasses, the impacts of climate change, and other threats to seagrass habitats. Finally, it proposes tools and strategies for managers to help support seagrass resilience.

Existing coastal management and defense approaches are not well suited to meet the challenges of climate change and related uncertanities. Professionals in this field need a more dynamic, systematic and multidisciplinary approach. Written by an international group of experts, Coastal Risk Management in a Changing Climate provides innovative, multidisciplinary best practices for mitigating the effects of climate change on coastal structures. Based on the Theseus program, the book includes eight study sites across Europe, with specific attention to the most vulnerable coastal environments such as deltas, estuaries and wetlands, where many large cities and industrial areas are located. - Integrated risk assessment tools for considering the effects of climate change and related uncertainties - Presents latest insights on coastal engineering defenses - Provides integrated guidelines for setting up optimal mitigation measures - Provides directly applicable tools for the design of mitigation measures - Highlights socio-economic perspectives in coastal mitigation

Seagrasses are a vital and widespread but often overlooked coastal marine habitat. This volume provides a global survey of their distribution and conservation status.

Provides synthesis of current scientific knowledge on coral reef resilience and resistance to bleaching, and highlights resilience and resistance factors and some knowledge gaps. Discusses tools and strategies to enhance resilience, including the use of well-designed networks of marine protected areas and integrated coastal management.

The goal of the report project is to define the habitat requirements of seagrasses in the European coasts, the present threats to the sustainability of the ecosystem they form, and their resilience to disturbance in order to strengthen our forecast capacity and formulate cost-effective monitoring plans and management strategies.

Seagrasses occur in coastal zones throughout the world, in the part of the marine habitat that is most heavily influenced by humans. Decisions about coastal management therefore often involve seagrasses, but a full appreciation of the role of seagrasses in coastal ecosystems has yet to be reached. This book provides an entry point for those wishing to learn about the ecology of this fascinating group of plants, and gives a broad overview of current knowledge, complemented by extensive literature references to guide the reader to more detailed studies.