Thousands of tons of sand are transported to the seabed every year. This phenomenon is not good news, and here’s why…
This phenomenon, which was analyzed by some experts during the year, was published in the journal Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation It provides a new perspective on marine ecosystems.
this Sand removal It’s not just about physical movement, it has a huge environmental impact.
ton Sand moves to the bottom of the sea because of Races. Often underestimated in their ecological role, these marine animals have in fact recently revealed an amazing impact on the sea floor.
In fact, a recent study has shed light on how this creature moves thousands of tons of sand every year, a volume that could easily be compared to the weight of the Eiffel Towers.
These cartilaginous fish feed on mollusks and invertebrates hidden under the sand. While searching for food, Races They vibrate their pectoral fins vigorously and spray water, creating feeding pits and small holes in the sandy bottom.
Not only does this behavior displace a massive amount of sediment, it also profoundly impacts the surrounding ecosystem.
“there biological disorder Sediment is a major ecosystem service in estuaries and marine ecosystems and rays (superorder Batoidea: stingrays, stingrays, electric rays and paddle rays) are among the largest biotic drivers, modifying their environment through foraging and predation. We read in the study summary.
Thousands of tons of sand are transported to the seabed every year.
The study was supervised by Dr. Molly Gru Which used hadrons to map the biofeeding activity of stingrays, creating detailed 3D models of the seafloor.
In just seven days, Races They created 1,000 feed holes, displacing nearly 8 tons of sand.
the Researchers They estimate that these samples transport more than 20 tons of sediment annually throughout the entire estuary.
“Stingray activities cycle nutrients.increasing oxygen penetration and re-layering sediments. However, because rays are globally threatened, it is unclear to what extent the loss of rays and the ecosystem services they provide will affect ecosystem processes. Biological disturbance may generate Forms of estuary processes And (…) the loss of stingrays and their ecosystem services is likely to have a major impact on estuarine sedimentary ecosystems. These results confirmEnvironmental importance “Species in the ecosystem and the need to better understand the consequences of human pressures on these services,” we read in the study.
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