Ret Talbot describes how to set up a display tank (modelled on a specific reef system in Indonesia), and link it to one or more biotope tanks. The two biotopes suggested are Mangrove and Seagrass, with further information in an article about a Mangrove/Seagrass Refugium.
Mangroves, Seagrasses and Coral Reefs
These two biotopes are important for reef systems. In ‘Coral Reef Resilience and Resistance to Bleaching’ (a PDF downloadable from The World Conservation Union) it is suggested that: “surrounding ecosystems such as seagrasses and mangroves should be protected because they contribute nutrients to the coral reefs and provide nurseries for many reef species”
Mangroves
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes mangrove as ‘Halophytic (salt-loving) plants over 50 cm high that grow in tropical intertidal zones’. They are found in many tropical and sub-tropical marine and estuarine environments, and mangrove-fringed shores are useful because the roots trap sediments, nutrients and pollutants. By doing this they improve the water quality over nearby reefs in nature, and - by extension - they should be able to perform the same functions for a reef tank.
Seagrasses
The NOAA describes seagrass as a ‘Flowering plants found in marine or estuarine waters that tend to develop extensive underwater meadows’. There are about 58 species (from at least two families and twelve different genera), and they are often associated with mangroves. Seagrasses have been described as ‘ecosystem engineers’ because they are capable of modifying their own habitat to suit their own needs. Like mangroves they recycle nutrients and provide habitats for a vast number of organisms. This nutrient recycling ability can be harnessed within the reef tank system, and some of the small creatures that live around the seagrass can wander out of the refugium (biotope tank) to be gobbled up by the fish! In nature seagrasses also contribute valuable pigmented detritus which helps protect coral from UV radiation, and while this is of little interest to the aquarist it might well be vital for the survival of coral reefs.
Biotope Tanks and Research
Aquarists who begin to experiment with biotope tanks will learn much about the specific requirements of the mangrove and seagrass plants they attempt to cultivate. If they keep careful notes of their successes (and failures) this information could be collated and built into a resource of great use to ecologists who are concerned with the health and future of coral reefs. Biotopers who would like to become involved with this sort of project should note what species of mangrove and/or seagrass they are using, and then contribute their findings (negatives as well as positives) to the discussion.
References: ‘What are Seagrasses?’ from the Western Australian Seagrass Web Pages, and ‘Mangrove Ecoregions’ from the WWF.
Other articles by John Blatchford
Join the Conversation