Eelgrass Trait Measurements from Nova Scotia Atlantic Coast

Field data captures eelgrass bed structure, morphology, and physiology from sites along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Sampling occurred in July-August of 2017, 2021, and 2022 across a gradient of temperature and light conditions. The dataset includes metrics like shoot density, leaf dimensions, rhizome carbohydrates, and chlorophyll content.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between total leaf chlorophyll and summer temperature/light conditions across sampling sites.
• Model variations in rhizome water soluble carbohydrates against gradients of temperature and light.
• Examine correlations between vegetative shoot density, reproductive shoot density, and plant morphological traits like leaf length and width.
• Assess spatial variation in eelgrass bed structure using data from 10 haphazardly distributed sampling stations per site.

Strengths

• Data collected across three distinct sampling years (2017, 2021, 2022) enabling temporal trend analysis.
• Includes multiple trait categories: bed structure (shoot density), morphology (leaf dimensions, rhizome width), and physiology (carbohydrates, chlorophyll).
• Sampling designed across a gradient of environmental conditions, specifically temperature and light.

Limitations

• Sample size is unknown, making it difficult to assess statistical power for analyses.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, limiting broader regional inferences.
• Data collection is restricted to the summer months (July-August), missing seasonal trait dynamics.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Coastal Ecosystems Science Division.

Collection Method

Field sampling at 10 stations per seagrass bed, with laboratory processing of collected plants for trait measurements.

Time Range

July-August 2017, 2021, 2022.

Freshness

Data last updated in March 2026, with field sampling up to 2022.

Geography

Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.