| Introduction | Methods | Time Line | Efforts | Results/Area | Results/Depth | Conclusions |
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| Spatial and Temporal Trends of Seagrass Loss in Feather Sound |
| Darlene Saindon, Paul Carlson, Bill Sargent, Jeannine Lessmann, Alice Ketron, and Laura Yarbro (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission- Florida Marine Research Institute, and Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida) |
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Results: SAV Loss by Area:
Between 1942 and 1999, mean SAV cover of the northern study area (transects A-E) declined by 2.4 cover class units.
Cover declined by 0.7 units in each of three intervals: 1942-1952, 1965-1975, and 1975-1988.
- Little change occurred in the intervals 1952-1965 and 1988-1999. SAV cover in the southern part of the study area (transects F-J) exhibited less seagrass loss (1.6 units between 1942 and 1999) than the northern area transects.
- Much of this loss (1.5 units) occurred between 1942 and 1952, with significant recovery (+0.5 units) between 1952 and 1965.
- From 1965 to 1999, SAV in the southern half of the study area continued to decline at a reduced rate. Currently the SAV coverage is significantly greater in the south (mean cover=1.65) than in the north ( mean cover=1.02).
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