The role of sexual reproduction in the maintenance of established Zostera marina meadows

Abstract
1.For clonal plants the role of sexual reproduction in the maintenance of populations can vary widely. Some species are dependent on repeated seedling recruitment. For other species, interactions between adults and seedlings within existing populations can affect seedling survival and limit sexual reproduction in existing populations. Genetic studies of seagrass populations increasingly suggest sexual reproduction is important for the resilience and stability of their populations, but as of yet little observational data supports these findings. Because seagrass populations provide important ecosystem services and are threatened with increasing anthropogenic impacts, understanding their reliance on sexual reproduction is evolutionarily and ecologically important.
2.The goals of this study were to determine: 1. if seedlings of a marine angiosperm, Zostera marina, establish and recruit within existing Z. marina meadows; 2. if interactions between seedlings and surrounding adult sh...