About the Project

In the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, warmer water temperatures in recent years have resulted in large scale diebacks of eelgrass meadows (Zostera marina). In contrast, many eelgrass populations in Back Sound, North Carolina appear to be more resilient to warming water temperatures. Understanding the drivers of these regional differences in eelgrass resilience could help more effectively restore eelgrass meadows in a changing climate. With a network of the intended users from reserves, state agencies, and Chesapeake Bay nonprofits, this project compared resiliency traits of eelgrass populations in Virginia and North Carolina by conducting reciprocal restoration trials and genomic sequencing. The project results indicate the importance of seed sources in potential future eelgrass restoration, in addition to site selection.

About this Resource

This project generated four datasets from field sampling and genomic sequencing of eelgrass populations in North Carolina and Virginia. The dataset description provides more information about each dataset.

• Dataset 1: Reproductive metrics and meadow condition data for Zostera marina in North Carolina and Virginia estuarine reserves

  Site-level summary statistics of eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadow condition across multiple estuarine sites in North Carolina and Virginia during the 2023 growing season. Available at the UNC Dataverse.

• Dataset 2: Temperature and light availability data from Zostera marina restoration and reference sites in NC and VA reserves

  Time-series environmental monitoring data collected from seagrass restoration and reference sites in North Carolina and Virginia, including continuous summer measurements of water temperature (°C) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Available at the UNC Dataverse.

• Dataset 3: Reciprocal eelgrass (Zostera marina) seed restoration monitoring data across NC and VA sites

  Field monitoring data from a reciprocal seed restoration experiment conducted at multiple Zostera marina transplant sites in North Carolina and Virginia during the 2024 growing season. Available at the UNC Dataverse.

• Dataset 4: Whole-genome resequencing and genomic variation data for Zostera marina across temperature gradients in NC and VA

  High-throughput sequencing data from eelgrass populations in both states. Includes SNP data, clone filtering, population structure, and environmental association analyses related to thermal stress adaptation. Available at the NCBI BIoProject database.

Questions about these datasets can be directed to the project lead:

Dr. Jessie Jarvis, University of North Carolina Wilmington, [email protected]