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Marine Debris Program and the International Association for Landscape Ecology

MAY 5, 2017--On April 10-13, Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, attended the 2017 meeting of the US chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (US-IALE) in Baltimore, MD.

The annual US-IALE meeting promotes interdisciplinary research and communication among scientists, planners, and other professionals concerned with landscape ecology.

Amy presented on preliminary results from her PhD dissertation that identify thresholds (or change points) in local wave energy regimes in seagrass landscapes in the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary System in North Carolina. When exceeded, these thresholds can substantially alter the spatial configuration of seagrass beds. Beyond the threshold, seagrass patterns become more variable, and patches are smaller and farther apart. Understanding wave energy thresholds has important management implications for identifying seagrass landscapes that may be more vulnerable to acute wave energy disturbances such as hurricanes.

For additional information please contact: Amy.Uhrin@noaa.gov.

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Seagrass beds under the surface of the water.
Patchy seagrass beds in Back Sound, near Beaufort NC. Image credit: NOAA.
Woman in diving gear in water.
Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist Amy Uhrin conducting her PhD research. Image credit: NOAA.
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:52pm PST