Current advances in seagrass research: A review from Viet Nam

Xuan-Vy Nguyen; Thi Thuy Hang Phan; Van-Luong Cao; Nhu-Thuy Nguyen Nhat; Trung-Hieu Nguyen; Xuan-Thuy Nguyen; Va-Khin Lau; Cong-Tin Hoang; My-Ngan Nguyen-Thi; Hung Manh Nguyen; Viet-Ha Dao; Mirta Teichberg; Jutta Papenbrock

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.991865

Current advances in seagrass research: A review from Viet Nam

Front Plant Sci. 2022 Oct 10:13:991865. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.991865. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xuan-Vy Nguyen^{1

2}, Thi Thuy Hang Phan³, Van-Luong Cao^{2

4}, Nhu-Thuy Nguyen Nhat¹, Trung-Hieu Nguyen¹, Xuan-Thuy Nguyen¹, Va-Khin Lau¹, Cong-Tin Hoang³, My-Ngan Nguyen-Thi¹, Hung Manh Nguyen^{5

6}, Viet-Ha Dao^{1

2}, Mirta Teichberg⁷, Jutta Papenbrock⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Oceanography, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, Nha Trang, Vietnam.
² Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
³ University of Sciences, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam.
⁴ Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, Hai Phong, Vietnam.
⁵ Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Central Arava Branch, Hatseva, Israel.
⁶ French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Dryland, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
⁷ Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woodshole, MA, United States.
⁸ Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany.

Abstract

Seagrass meadows provide valuable ecosystem services but are fragile and threatened ecosystems all over the world. This review highlights the current advances in seagrass research from Viet Nam. One goal is to support decision makers in developing science-based conservation strategies. In recent years, several techniques were applied to estimate the size of seagrass meadows. Independent from the method used, there is an alarming decline in the seagrass area in almost all parts of Viet Nam. Since 1990, a decline of 46.5% or 13,549 ha was found. Only in a few protected and difficult-to-reach areas was an increase observed. Conditions at those sites could be investigated in more detail to make suggestions for conservation and recovery of seagrass meadows. Due to their lifestyle and morphology, seagrasses take up compounds from their environment easily. Phytoremediation processes of Thalassia hemprichii and Enhalus acoroides are described exemplarily. High accumulation of heavy metals dependent on their concentration in the environment in different organs can be observed. On the one hand, seagrasses play a role in phytoremediation processes in polluted areas; on the other hand, they might suffer at high concentrations, and pollution will contribute to their overall decline. Compared with the neighboring countries, the total C _org stock from seagrass beds in Viet Nam was much lower than in the Philippines and Indonesia but higher than that of Malaysia and Myanmar. Due to an exceptionally long latitudinal coastline of 3,260 km covering cool to warm water environments, the seagrass species composition in Viet Nam shows a high diversity and a high plasticity within species boundaries. This leads to challenges in taxonomic issues, especially with the Halophila genus, which can be better deduced from genetic diversity/population structures of members of Hydrocharitaceae. Finally, the current seagrass conservation and management efforts in Viet Nam are presented and discussed. Only decisions based on the interdisciplinary cooperation of scientists from all disciplines mentioned will finally lead to conserve this valuable ecosystem for mankind and biodiversity.

Keywords: degradation; distribution; diversity; ecosystem services; seagrass; taxonomy.

Publication types

Review