Benthic Ecology Program
The benthic ecology program focuses on benthic habitats, from faunal communities in the sediment to biodiversity rich seagrass meadows. Understanding how these ecosystems and their species assemblages interact with physical, chemical and biological parameters is essential to protecting and managing these habitats.
Click here to watch Agnes Mittermayr give a talk on food webs and the importance of benthic habitats.
Learn more about efforts to map benthic habitats here.
CCS has recently assumed leadership of SeagrassNet, the oldest continually running monitoring program worldwide with collaborators from South Korea to Brazil.
Seagrasses play a vital role in the health of our oceans and the well-being of coastal communities. They stabilize shorelines, protect against storm surges, purify water, support rich marine biodiversity, and provide nursery grounds for fish and shellfish that sustain global fisheries. Perhaps most critically in today’s climate crisis, they also sequester carbon at rates comparable to – or even exceeding – terrestrial forests.
SeagrassNet is an international scientific network with a powerful mission: to monitor, understand, and protect the world’s seagrass meadows. These often-overlooked underwater plants form the foundation of some of the planet’s most productive and essential coastal ecosystems. Since its founding in 2001, SeagrassNet has expanded across more than 30 countries and 100 monitoring sites, creating the longest continuously running, globally coordinated program focused on seagrass health.
