Warming northward shifting southern limits of the iconic temperate seagrass (Zostera marina)

Global warming can shift the range edges of numerous species poleward. Here, eelgrass distribution was reinvestigated at its southern limits on the eastern coast of China, which indicated that there has been a northward shift in the southern limit of Z. marina. To determine if regional warming resulted in a northward shift in suitable eelgrass habitats, sixteen transplantations of adult eelgrass shoots and seeds at the historical southern distribution limit of eelgrasswere conducted between 2016 and 2021. The results showed that high water temperatures in summer had negative effects on eelgrass growth, and directly triggered shoot mortality during 2016-2018. Under heat stress, antioxidant enzyme activity was initially increased, but then decreased under more stressful heat conditions; and the HSP70 protein and its molecular chaperone protein were highly expressed under heat stress. These results demonstrated that suitable eelgrass habitat was now located further north along the eastern coast of China.

Automated summary

This study investigated the distribution of eelgrass at its southern limits on the eastern coast of China and found a northward shift in the southern limit. Further experiments showed that high water temperatures negatively affected eelgrass growth and caused shoot mortality. These findings indicate that suitable eelgrass habitat has moved further north along the eastern coast of China.