Distribution, structure and function of Nordic eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems: Implications for coastal management and conservation

1. This paper focuses on the marine foundation eelgrass species, Zostera marina , along a gradient from the northern Baltic Sea to the north-east Atlantic. This vast region supports a minimum of 1480km 2 eelgrass (maximum > 2100km 2 ), which corresponds to more than four times the previously quanti fi ed area of eelgrass in Western Europe. 2. Eelgrass meadows in the low salinity Baltic Sea support the highest diversity (4 – 6 spp.) of angiosperms overall, but eelgrass productivity is low (