Implications of Seagrass Habitat Complexity for Benthic Biodiversity Conservation: Informing Coastal Management and Planning

Abstract

Seagrass meadows function as important ecosystem engineers, yet their role in maintaining benthic biodiversity is often overlooked. For this reason, we need to examine spatial variation in Mollusca community structure between seagrass-dominated and non-vegetated habitats. By understanding how seagrass affects the biodiversity of molluscs, we will obtain information on local coastal conservation strategies. We conducted a comparative analysis using the quadrat transect method at six coastal stations (three seagrass-dominated, three unvegetated). Mollusca abundance data, species diversity, and sediment characteristics were analyzed using the independent-samples t-test to assess habitat differences and Pearson correlation to evaluate benthic associations with sediment. The results show a significant difference: Mollusca abundance in seagrass vegetation is three times higher than in areas without vegetation. Seagrass vegetation supports species diversity by providing the organic material necessary for the survival of molluscs. Furthermore, sediment analysis shows that higher total organic material in vegetated areas correlates with the abundance of Molluscan. The findings indicate that the loss of seagrass habitat affects mollusk diversity. Preserving seagrass vegetation also protects the molluscs that inhabit it. This research remains local, so it cannot be directly applied because parameters still need further testing, especially hydrodynamics, canopy physical complexity, and predator interactions