Fischer, Ciara (2022) Effects of restored eelgrass meadows (Zostera marina L.) on the macroinfauna community in the Kiel Fjord, Germany. (Bachelor thesis), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany, 38 pp.

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Abstract

Seagrass meadows are an important ecological compound for coastal oceans worldwide and can also be found in the Baltic Sea. They are especially productive ecosystems and marine biodiversity hotspots. Worldwide declines of seagrass meadows make conservation and restoration of these ecosystems necessary. In 2021 an experimental set-up for the restoration of an eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadow in the Kiel Fjord was established. This thesis researched the effects of the restored eelgrass meadow on the macroinfauna community by comparing macroinfauna community parameters of the restored site to a naturally occurring meadow and a unvegetated control site. Taxon richness, taxon diversity, abundances as well as changes in the community composition were investigated (n = 6). After one year of community development the macroinfauna community in the restoration site did not differ any more from the naturally occurring meadow in terms of diversity, while taxon richness was slightly lower than in the natural site. Surprisingly, abundances of macroinfauna at the restoration site were approximately twice as high as at the other two sites. In the light of these findings the restoration experiment can be regarded as successful, as the habitat provisioning function was provided rapidly after only one year and the diversity metrics of the restoration site and the naturally occurring meadow converged as well. In terms of community composition, a transition of the restoration site from the control site to the naturally occurring meadow became visible. This shows that the restoration of eelgrass meadows in the Kiel Fjord can be an effective approach to conserve and enhance coastal marine biodiversity.

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