Contrasting effects of habitat structure on the recruitment and mortality of an epibiotic macroalga

Field surveys over 2 years in contiguous beds of the seagrassesZostera capricorni andPosidonia australis showed that the green algaCodium duthieae was consistently more abundant inZ. capricorni than inP. australis. In 1 year, mature plants were also more abundant at the boundary between the seagrass beds than in either bed. Field experiments and programmes of sampling were used to investigate three potential explanations for the unusual distribution of this alga: (1) that the availability of substrata suitable for attachment of the alga differed between the two seagrass beds; (2) that mortality of matureC. duthieae differed between the seagrass beds; and/or (3) that the intensity of recruitment was different in the two seagrass beds.C. duthieae plants were exclusively epibionts of the bivalveAnadara trapezia. Detailed sampling showed that the abundance ofA. trapezia was similar in both seagrass beds and that the distribution of bivalves suitable as substrata forC. duthieae plants was not obviously related to proximity to the boundary between the beds. Two experiments investigated the survival ofC. duthieae plants in each bed. In the first, matureC. duthieae plants transplanted into theP. australis bed suffered similar rates of mortality to plants which were disturbed and moved within theZ. capricorni bed or which were left undisturbed in theZ. capricorni bed. Fewer of the host bivalves were recovered from theZ. capricorni bed, however, indicating that the mechanism of mortality differed between the beds, hosts being more frequently dislodged in theZ. capricorni bed. Removal of the leaves of the seagrasses had consistently greater effects on near-bottom current velocities in theZ. capricorni bed than in theP. australis bed and significantly increased mortality ofC. duthieae in theZ. capricorni bed. Survival of plants was greater in plots of artificial leaves ofP. australis placed in theZ. capricorni bed than in plots of the naturalZ. capricorni leaves or plots where the natural leaves were removed. Most mortality in theZ. capricorni bed was due to dislodgement of the alga and its bivalve substratum. Corresponding manipulations of leaves in theP. australis bed had consistently smaller effects on survivorship of both the alga and its host. Patterns in the recruitment of the alga most clearly reflected the distribution of adults.C. duthieae recruits were 5 times more abundant in theZ. capricorni bed and at the boundary between the two beds than in theP. australis bed. The results demonstrate how habitat structure, provided by the canopy of leaves of the two species of seagrass, can have contrasting effects on the recruitment and mortality of a macroalga. In the case ofC. duthieae, it appears that the differential pattern of recruitment is the primary determinant of the distribution of adult plants.     

Water Relations of Seagrasses: STATIONARY VOLUMETRIC ELASTIC MODULUS AND OSMOTIC PRESSURE OF THE LEAF CELLS OF HALOPHILA OVALIS, ZOSTERA CAPRICORNI, AND POSIDONIA AUSTRALIS

The stationary volumetric elastic modulus (ε_s) of the leaf cells of three seagrasses (Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook, Zostera capricorni Aschers, and Posidonia australis Hook f.) was evaluated from estimates of ε_s plus intracellular osmotic pressure (ε_s + II_i) and II_i. The estimates of (ε_s + II_i) were made using a linear displacement transducer to measure very small changes in thickness of leaf tissue produced by changes in external osmotic pressure (II_o). ε_s increases with increasing turgor pressure in each of the species and the maximum values of ε_s are: 22 megapascals for H. ovalis, 17 megapascals for Z. capricorni, and 51 megapascals for P. australis.     

Caulerpa taxifolia in seagrass meadows: killer or opportunistic weed?

Seagrass habitats are being lost throughout the world and the invasive alga C. taxifolia has often been implicated in seagrass declines. Although C. taxifolia can impact a variety of species, evidence for its effects on seagrasses is largely correlative. This study combined observational studies and manipulative experiments done over many years to test hypotheses about effects of C. taxifolia on two Australian seagrasses, namely Posidonia australis and Zostera capricorni. Results indicated that C. taxifolia is not having adverse impacts on the coverage of these seagrasses in the sites studied. Rather, C. taxifolia appears to be an opportunist, persisting longer and its coverage being greater in previously non-vegetated sediments than amongst seagrasses. C. taxifolia co-existed with P. australis and did not cause reductions in the cover of the seagrass. Outcomes of experimental manipulations of C. taxifolia amongst Z. capriconi were less clear due to losses of Z. capriconi in all plots, regardless of the presence of C. taxifolia. It was possible that C. taxifolia may have enhanced the decline in canopy cover of Z. capricorni, but the presence of alga did not alter the final fate of Z. capricorni. There was also no evidence that long-term areal coverage of P. australis or Z. capriconi has been affected by the introduction of C. taxifolia in the embayments studied. A review of literature on effects of species of Caulerpa on seagrasses provided limited experimental evidence for negative impacts of this genus on seagrass abundance.     

Posidonia australis seed predation in seagrass habitats of Two Peoples Bay,Western Australia

Posidonia australis seed predation experiments conducted in three seagrass habitats (P. australis, Posidonia sinuosa, Halophila ovalis) and bare sand in Two Peoples Bay, Western Australia, showed higher predation rates in seagrass than bare sand, supporting general conclusions from two previous predation studies in Western Australia. However, much higher rates were noted in H. ovalis, compared to previous observations of very low rates in H. ovalis on Rottnest Island, Western Australia. We attribute these differences to gammaridean amphipods (family Lysianassidae) that were present in a detrital layer within the H. ovalis in Two Peoples Bay. Our data from Two Peoples Bay continues to add to the growing body of information showing high seed predation rates in most seagrass habitats by a diverse group of crustacean species.     

Development of a ‘sediment-stress’ functional-level indicator for the seagrass Halophila ovalis

Understanding mechanistic relationships between seagrass and their environmental stressors should be considered for effective management of estuaries and may inform on why change has occurred. We aimed to develop indicators for seagrass health in response to sediment conditions for the Swan-Canning Estuary, south-west Australia. This article describes the development of a new sediment-stress indicator, relating aspects of seagrass productivity with sediment sulfur dynamics. Sulfur stable isotope ratio and total sulfur were measured monthly within the roots, rhizomes and leaves of Halophila ovalis, and significantly varied across sites and months. The growth of seagrass over the summer months appeared restricted by sediment condition, with growth of seagrass lower when sediment derived sulfur and/or total sulfur within rhizome of leaf tissues was higher. H. ovalis appeared quite tolerant of sulfide intrusion within the root compartment, but growth was compromised when sulfide breached the root–rhizome barrier. The tightest correlation between potential sulfur metrics and seagrass growth was observed for the ratio (δ³⁴S_leaf + 30)/(TS_leaf), and it is this ratio that we propose may be a useful sediment-stress indicator for seagrass. The study also highlights that sediment condition needs to be considered at the meadow scale.     

A Miniature Bioassay for Testing the Acute Phytotoxicity of Photosystem II Herbicides on Seagrass

Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides have been detected in nearshore tropical waters such as those of the Great Barrier Reef and may add to the pressure posed by runoff containing sediments and nutrients to threatened seagrass habitats. There is a growing number of studies into the potential effects of herbicides on seagrass, generally using large experimental setups with potted plants. Here we describe the successful development of an acute 12-well plate phytotoxicity assay for the PSII herbicide Diuron using isolated Halophila ovalis leaves. Fluorescence images demonstrated Diuron affected the entire leaf surface evenly and responses were not influenced by isolating leaves from the plant. The optimum exposure duration was 24 h, by which time the inhibition of effective quantum yield of PSII (∆F/F_m’) was highest and no deterioration of photosystems was evident in control leaves. The inhibition of ∆F/F_m’ by Diuron in isolated H. ovalis leaves was identical to both potted and hydroponically grown plants (with leaves remaining attached to rhizomes), indicating similar reductions in photosynthetic activity in these acute well-plate assays. The sensitivity of the assay was not influenced by irradiance (range tested 40 to 400 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1). High irradiance, however, caused photo-oxidative stress in H. ovalis and this generally impacted in an additive or sub-additive way with Diuron to damage PSII. The bioassay using isolated leaves is more rapid, uses far less biological material and does not rely on specialised aquarium facilities in comparison with assays using potted plants. The development and validation of this sensitive bioassay will be useful to reliably screen and monitor the phytotoxicity of existing and emerging PSII herbicides and contribute to risk assessments and water quality guideline development in the future.     

The photosynthetic performance of the tropical seagrass Halophila ovalis in the upper intertidal

Some ecophysiological adaptation strategies of the tropical seagrass Halophila ovalis were investigated with respect to this plant's ability to grow in the upper intertidal in either monospecific pools (but not together with other intertidal species) or emergent and exposed to high temperatures and irradiances during several hours every day. It was found that Halophila ovalis could raise the pH in simulated pools to 8.6, while the two other major (biomass wise) intertidal seagrasses raised the pH to 8.8 (Cymodocea rotundata) and 9.2 (Thalassia hemprichii). In situ, midday pH values of 8.5, 8.7 and 9.0 were recorded in pools inhabiting the three species, respectively. It was further found that photosynthetic electron transport rates (ETR) measured continuously in situ for one leaf during a diurnal cycle followed the irradiance up to a daily maximal value of 2200 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, but dropped by ca. 50% when the leaf became air exposed just before noon. This drop in ETR upon emergence was verified by “point measurements”, while ETRs of leaves that grew in small pools formed as the tide receded followed the irradiance more closely. Similarly, F_v/F_m measured after 15 min of dark adaptation decreased by ca. 50% in emergent leaves during midday, but maintained higher daily values in the submerged leaves.     

Increased heavy metal and nutrient contamination does not increase fluctuating asymmetry in the seagrass Halophila ovalis

Fluctuating asymmetry (random differences between symmetric structures, FA) is one of the stress indices used recently to assess a subtle effect of environmental degradation on organisms and is expected to increase under stress conditions. In this study, we developed an original technique of measuring FA in seagrass, Halophila ovalis. We analysed five metric and meristic characters on leaves of the seagrass from a polluted and several control locations in a lagoon in Eastern Australia. The seagrass was sampled from three sites at each location. The analyses revealed significant spatial heterogeneity of samples in fluctuating asymmetry with the highest variability was observed among sites. There was no increase in FA of H. ovalis from polluted location. Possible explanations suggest that whether existing concentrations of heavy metals do not cause developmental stress in seagrass or their effect is compensated or even surpassed by effect of uncontrolled factors.     

Large scale variation in abundance of five common species of decapod sampled from seagrass in New South Wales

Abstract Decapods associated with two species of seagrass (Zostera capricorni and Posidonia australis) were sampled at several sites within estuaries on the New South Wales coast for 3 years. Two species of decapod (Macrobrachium intermedium and Penaeus plebejus) were abundant in Z. capricorni. Four species (M. intermedium, P. plebejus, Chlorotocella leptorhynchus and Nectocarcinus tuberculosus) were abundant in P. australis. Abundance of all these species fluctuated greatly among sites and through time. Some seasonal patterns in abundance were evident, and appeared to be caused by recruitment and subsequent mortality or migration of individuals. Similarly, there were some consistent spatial patterns in abundance of most species. In particular, some sites supported consistently more juveniles during the same period of separate years. Within Jervis Bay, P. australis was also sampled in shallow (1–2m) and deep (7–8 m) water. Three species were abundant (C. leptorhynchus, N. tuberculosus and Processa australiense), but showed no consistent differences between the two depths. Abundances of these species did fluctuate greatly among the sites within Jervis Bay and through time. Such observations of the natural rates of change in abundance of populations are essential in order to be able to detect the effects of human disturbances.     

Dugong grazing and turtle cropping: grazing optimization in tropical seagrass systems?

Grazing by dugongs and cropping by green turtles have the capacity to alter the subsequent nutritional quality of seagrass regrowth. We examined the effects of simulated light and intensive grazing by dugongs and cropping by turtles on eight nutritionally relevant measures of seagrass chemical composition over two regrowth periods (short-term, 1–4 months; long-term, 11–13 months) at two seagrass communities (a mixed species community with Zostera capricorni, Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninervis, Cymodocea rotundata and C. serrulate; and a monospecific bed of Halodule uninervis) in tropical Queensland, Australia. The concentrations of organic matter, total nitrogen, total water-soluble carbohydrates, total starch, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid lignin, as well as the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were measured in the leaves and below-ground parts of each species using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). Regrowth of preferred species such as H. ovalis and H. uninervis from simulated intensive dugong grazing after a year exhibited increased (by 35 and 25%, respectively, relative to controls) whole-plant N concentrations. Similarly, regrowth of H. ovalis from simulated turtle cropping showed an increase in the leaf N concentration of 30% after a year. However, these gains are tempered by reductions in starch concentrations and increases in fiber. In the short-term, the N concentrations increased while the fiber concentrations decreased. These data provide experimental support for a grazing optimization view of herbivory in the tropical seagrass system, but with feedback in a different manner. Furthermore, we suggest that in areas where grazing is the only major source of natural disturbance, it is likely that there are potential ecosystem level effects if and when numbers of dugongs and turtles are reduced.     

Effects of Sink Removal on Photosynthesis and Senescence in Leaves of Soybean (Glycine max L.) Plants

Photosynthetic rate, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity, specific leaf weight, and leaf concentrations of carbohydrates, proteins, chlorophyll, and inorganic phosphate were determined periodically from midbloom until maturity in leaves of soybean plants (Glycine max L., var. Hodgson) from which reproductive and vegetative sinks had been removed 32 hours before measurement, or continuously since midbloom.

Leaf photosynthesis, measured in the top of the canopy, was partially inhibited by both sink removal treatments. This inhibition was of constant magnitude from midbloom until maturity.

Leaf photosynthesis in the top of the canopy declined from midbloom until maturity in the control as well as in the desinked plants. The decline in photosynthesis was gradual at first, but later became more abrupt. The photosynthetic decline was equally evident in the yellowing leaves of control plants and in the dark green leaves of the continuously desinked plants.

Neither the inhibition of photosynthesis by sink removal nor the decline in photosynthetic rate with time was clearly related to any of the measured traits.

     

东北主要树种光合作用可行的离体测定方法

树木光合作用的测定常因植株高大而难以开展, 其中离体测定是解决途径之一。但离体测定的方法及其可靠性因树种而异。选取东北东部温带森林中特性各异的7种主要树种: 针叶树(红松(Pinus koraiensis)、长白落叶松(Larix olgensis))、散孔材(白桦(Betula platyphylla)、胡桃楸(Juglans mandshurica))和环孔材(水曲柳(Fraxinus mandshurica)、黄榆(Ulmus macrocarpa)、蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)), 首先采用光合速率恢复到光合诱导前稳定值90%的时间(T₉₀)长短和叶片蒸腾速率(E)的大小评估离体叶片水分供应状况及其光合活力, 以此确定较优的离体测定方案; 同时, 观测离体叶片的光合活力稳定时间; 最后通过比较原位测定和采用所确定的较优离体方案测定的各树种叶片气体交换参数, 论证采用离体测定光合作用的可靠性。结果表明: 除蒙古栎外的6个树种的离体叶片均具有较高、较稳定的水分供应和光合活力。离体枝条或复叶插入水中, 环剥去除切口处3 cm左右的韧皮部和剩余叶片的方法, 是这6个温带树种叶片光合能力的较优离体测定方法。6个树种叶片的T₉₀受树木特性的影响而差异显著(p < 0.05), 其中环孔材树种的T₉₀显著高于散孔材和针叶树种。6个树种离体叶片在1 h内均有较高、较稳定的水分供应和光合活力。在此期间离体所测得的绝大多数叶片的气体交换参数与其原位测定值之间的差异不显著。该研究提出了可行的树木叶片光合作用的离体测定方案, 适用于蒙古栎以外的其他6个温带树种。     

Der Beitrag einzelner Blätter an der Pflanze zur Photosynthese des gesamten Blattapparates im Laufe der Pflanzenentwicklung

Plants ofPlectranthus fructicosus were grown in two controlled environments -“spring” and “summer” conditions - differing in temperature and air humidity (day/night 20/15 and 27/22 °C; 80/98 and 50/80 % relative humidity) in order to study the influence of environmental conditions on the development of photosynthetic characteristics of individual leaves. The contribution of individual leaves to plant photosynthesis was very similar in both environments, the maximum shifting from bottom leaves to leaves of middle insertion levels during plant ontogenesis. On integrating the values of leaf photosynthesis for the whole vegetation period, the 5th leaf in “spring” conditions and the 4th leaf in “summer” conditions showed the highest contribution to plant photosynthesis (29 % resp. 25% of total net CO₂ influx). The “photosynthetically mature” leaves of middle insertion levels played the main role in CO₂ uptake of whole plant.     

Do desiccation tolerances control the vertical distribution of intertidal seagrasses?

Photosynthetic processes in Zostera japonica, an upper intertidal species, were found to be more severely affected by desiccation than Z. marina, a lower intertidal and subtidal species, at comparable levels of tissue water content. The data indicate that photosynthetic responses to desiccation at the level of the individual leaf are insufficient to explain observed patterns of intertidal seagrass zonation. Desiccation tolerance in seagrasses is more likely to involve a complex interaction of morphological traits and growth strategies at the level of the whole plant, such as downsizing (e.g. smaller, narrower leaves), reduced structural rigidity and increased rates of leaf abscission and leaf turnover.     

A Comparison of Dark Respiration between C(3) and C(4) Plants

Lower respiratory costs were hypothesized as providing an additional benefit in C₄ plants compared to C₃ plants due to less investment in proteins in C₄ leaves. Therefore, photosynthesis and dark respiration of mature leaves were compared between a number of C₄ and C₃ species. Although photosynthetic rates were generally greater in C₄ when compared to C₃ species, no differences were found in dark respiration rates of individual leaves at either the beginning or after 16 h of the dark period. The effects of nitrogen on photosynthesis and respiration of individual leaves and whole plants were also investigated in two species that occupy similar habitats, Amaranthus retroflexus (C₄) and Chenopodium album (C₃). For mature leaves of both species, there was no relationship between leaf nitrogen and leaf respiration, with leaves of both species exhibiting a similar rate of decline after 16 h of darkness. In contrast, leaf photosynthesis increased with increasing leaf nitrogen in both species, with the C₄ species displaying a greater photosynthetic response to leaf nitrogen. For whole plants of both species grown at different nitrogen levels, there was a clear linear relationship between net CO₂ uptake and CO₂ efflux in the dark. The dependence of nightly CO₂ efflux on CO₂ uptake was similar for both species, although the response of CO₂ uptake to leaf nitrogen was much steeper in the C₄ species, Amaranthus retroflexus. Rates of growth and maintenance respiration by whole plants of both species were similar, with both species displaying higher rates at higher leaf nitrogen. There were no significant differences in leaf or whole plant maintenance respiration between species at any temperature between 18 and 42°C. The data suggest no obvious differences in respiratory costs in C₄ and C₃ plants.     

Differential Expression of Genes in the Leaves of Sugarcane in Response to Sugar Accumulation

In C₄ sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids), photosynthetic activity has been shown to be regulated by the demand for carbon from sink tissues. There is evidence, from other plant species, that sink-limitation of photosynthesis is facilitated by sugar-signaling mechanisms in the leaf that affect photosynthesis through regulation of gene expression. In this work, we manipulated leaf sugar levels by cold-girdling leaves (5°C) for 80 h to examine the mechanisms whereby leaf sugar accumulation affects photosynthetic activity and assess whether signaling mechanisms reported for other species operate in sugarcane. During this time, sucrose and hexose concentrations above the girdle increased by 77% and 81%, respectively. Conversely, leaf photosynthetic activity (A) and electron transport rates (ETR) decreased by 66% and 54%, respectively. Quantitative expression profiling by means of an Affymetrix GeneChip Sugarcane Genome Array was used to identify genes responsive to cold-girdling (56 h). A number of genes (74) involved in primary and secondary metabolic pathways were identified as being differentially expressed. Decreased expression of genes related to photosynthesis and increased expression of genes involved in assimilate partitioning, cell wall synthesis, phosphate metabolism and stress were observed. Furthermore four probe sets homologous to trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP; EC 5.3.1.1) and trehalose 6-phosphate synthase (TPS; EC 2.4.1.15) were up- and down-regulated, respectively, indicating a possible role for trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) as a putative sugar-sensor in sugarcane leaves.     

Tolerance and physiological responses of Phragmites australis to water deficit

The water stress tolerance of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steud. grown in the laboratory were investigated by examining effects of different levels of imposed water deficits on growth, photosynthesis and various physiological traits related to water stress. Individual plants were grown under conditions of unrestricted water supply and compared with groups of plants receiving 60, 30, 15 or 5% of previous daily water requirements, respectively.Water deficit was found to reduce the leaf area and the leaf biomass per plant due to decreased production of new leaves, increased leaf shedding and reduced average leaf size. Leaf production and leaf expansion growth were very sensitive to water availability and were reduced when plants were subjected to fairly mild water deficit. Osmolality in sap expressed from leaves and the concentration of proline in leaves were only significantly increased in severely stressed plants, indicating that osmotic adjustment was of minor importance until a critical stress level was reached. Photosynthetic parameters were rather unaffected until the water availability was very low and led to the assertion that reduced CO₂ assimilation was mainly due to stomatal closure and not biochemical changes. Water stress had no effect on the activity of Rubisco. The CO₂ assimilation rate and stomatal conductance decreased in such a way that the intrinsic water use efficiency (A/g_s) increased, indicating efficient CO₂ utilization in water stressed plants. The apparent quantum yield (φ_i) was reduced in leaves of the most stressed plants, probably due to a decrease in the CO₂ molar fraction in the chloroplasts following stomatal closure.The initial response of P. australis to water deficit is a reduction in leaf area, the remaining leaves staying physiological rather well functioning until they are severely stressed. A high intrinsic water use efficiency and the ability to maintain some capacity for photosynthesis under severe water stress can undoubtedly contribute to the survival of P. australis under dry conditions. Taken together with its well-developed adaptations to flooding, P. australis seems very well adapted to grow in wetland areas with a widely fluctuating hydroperiod. P. australis grows very well in rather deep water, but can also tolerate extensive periods of drought with reduced availability of water.     

Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase from soybean nodules : partial purification and some kinetic properties

The relationship between single leaf photosynthesis and conductance was examined in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) across a range of environmental conditions. The purpose of this research was to separate and define the degree of stomatal and nonstomatal limitations in the photosynthetic process of field-grown cotton.

Photosynthetic rates were related to leaf conductance of upper canopy leaves in a curvilinear manner. Increases in leaf conductance of CO₂ in excess of 0.3 to 0.4 mole per square meter per second did not result in significant increases in gross or net photosynthetic rates. No tight coupling between environmental influences on photosynthetic rates and those affecting conductance levels was evident, since photosynthesis per unit leaf conductance did not remain constant. Slowly developing water stress caused greater reductions in photosynthesis than in leaf conductance, indicating nonstomatal limitations of photosynthesis.

Increases in external CO₂ concentration to levels above ambient did not produce proportional increases in photosynthesis even though substomatal or intercellular CO₂ concentration increased. The lack of a linear increase in photosynthetic rate in response to increases in leaf conductance and in response to increases in external CO₂ concentration demonstrated that nonstomatal factors are major photosynthetic rate determinants of cotton under field conditions.

     

Photosynthetic characteristics of leaves developed at different irradiances and temperatures: an extension of the current hypothesis

Photosynthetic characteristics at high measurement irradiance were analyzed for single leaves of two C₃ and one C₄ species grown under twenty one combinations of irradiance level, irradiance duration, and air temperature in order to test the idea that photosynthetic characteristies developed by leaves in different environments are controlled by the daily amount of photosynthesis. Photosynthetic rates per unit area and mesophyll conductances at 25°C and air levels of CO₂ and O₂, and parameters for two photosynthesis models were used to characterize the photosynthetic properties of the leaves. Leaves with highest values of the photosynthetic parameters for each species were often developed in environments with irradiance levels below saturation for photosynthesis, and with only 12 hours of irradiance per day. Lower air temperature during growth increased the photosynthetic characteristics for a given irradiance regime. Photosynthetic characteristics had higher correlation coefficients with daily photosynthesis of mature leaves divided by 24-hour leaf elongation rates of young leaves, than with daily photosynthesis alone, indicating that photosynthetic characteristics may be related to a balance between photosynthesis and leaf expansion.     

Growth responses of Zostera capricorni to estuarine sediment conditions

This study comprised (1) a field survey of intertidal seagrass (Zostera capricorni) biomass, cover and photosynthetic potential and sediment characteristics at a range of contrasting sites in three New Zealand harbours, and (2) a microcosm experiment comparing plant responses to sediments from extant versus historical seagrass sites. The field survey showed that the sediment physico-chemical characteristics were generally consistent with the limited previous reports for Zostera environments, although the total P concentration range was higher (0.08–0.72 mg P g⁻¹). Overall, 52% of variation in seagrass cover was explained by sediment water content (R = 0.54) and organic content (R = −0.56). Twenty-two percent of variation in seagrass biomass was explained by sediment total P and redox potential (both R = −0.35). Intra-harbour seagrass–sediment relationships were more significant (explaining up to 82% of plant variation) but harbour-specific. In the microcosm experiment, threefold higher Z. capricorni biomass was maintained on extant than historical sediments but not conclusively linked to measure sediment characteristics. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that significant relations can exist between estuarine sediment conditions and Z. capricorni growth responses, and suggest that detrimental change in sediment conditions may be a contributing factor in seagrass decline.