KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN SUBMERGED MACROPHYTE RESEARCH LIMIT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION

Submerged macrophytes are vital for maintaining good ecological status in freshwater and coastal ecosystems by shaping biodiversity, nutrient cycling, sediment dynamics, and water quality. Yet macrophyte communities are declining worldwide. Drawing on freshwater, marine, and terrestrial plant research, I argue that effective conservation and restoration are hindered by major knowledge gaps across organism, community, and ecosystem levels. At the organism level, understanding of physiological adaptations, life-history traits, and phenology under multiple stressors remains limited. New genomic and transcriptomic tools could clarify genetic diversity, stress tolerance, and adaptive responses, but are still rarely applied to macrophytes, and the roles of pathogens, endophytes, and microbiomes remain poorly known. Freshwater plant research is geographically biased and lacks model species. At the community level, interactions such as facilitation, including boom-bust dynamics of invasive species, are insufficiently understood. At the ecosystem level, macrophytes are underrepresented in models despite their influence on phenomena like alternative stable states. Monitoring gaps—including short time series and limited use of remotely operated vehicles—further impede management. Bridging these gaps requires interdisciplinary research linking genomic and physiological insights with community and ecosystem processes. Strengthening submerged macrophyte research is essential to predict responses to global change, improve restoration, and enhance the resilience of aquatic ecosystems.

Presentation Preference: Standard Oral (12 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Sabine Hilt, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland (hilt@igb-berlin.de)

Authors:

Sabine Hilt, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin, Germany  (hilt@igb-berlin.de)