Water is the most important element on earth that easily gets infected due to pollution. Learn seagrass contribution to preventing bacterial exposure.
New Scientist reported how seagrass significantly helps kills pathogens and bacteria in seawater. As long as there are seagrass beds on the coast, surely the microbes in sewage are predicted to be far.
Joleah Lamb, a marine disease ecologist from Cornell University supports the theory. Lamb gets water samples from four small islands located in the Spermonde Archipelago in Indonesia. Some of the islands where he gets water samples have seagrass meadows while others without.
In her study, Joleah Lamb found out that there's a small quantity level of Enterococcus bacteria from the water samples in seagrass areas. To be exact, there's only one-third level of the said bacteria in comparison. While there are 10 times of the bacteria over the limit which was set by the US Environmental Protection Agency on the seagrass-free samples.
According to Science Daily, the seagrass combats the bacteria from the not sanitized water contents. The seagrass is said to have a natural mechanism that reduces bacteria in the ecosystems. Seagrass further filter-feeders like that of sponges, tunicates, bivalves, thus removing bacteria from the water.
Lamb's research proves the linked habitats between the seagrass and the coral reefs. Additionally, Lamb's team studied more than 8,000 reef-building corals and set it for experimentation to see any disease. The study showed them the lower levels of disease on reefs with nearby seagrass than those without.
Lamb further explains, "Millions of people are relying on healthy coral reefs for food, income, and cultural value." She pertains to the benefits of having bacterial-less coral reefs in order to maintain an abundance with people's lives. Lamb believes that her research will open the minds of others and provide the clear message on the benefits of seagrasses for living things. She wants people to be aware that the world has lost seven percent of seagrass each year since 1990, so it's best to take action today to maintain ecological balance.
