Seed nutrient content and nutritional status of Posidonia oceanica seedlings in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea

Successful seedling establishment is rare in Posidonia oceanica. The first year after germination is likely to be the most critical phase in the recruitment process, but little is still known on the factors affecting seedling survival. Mature fruits of P. oceanica released from a meadow of the north-western Mediterranean were deposited by currents on the adjacent beach in May 2004. In May and December 2005, some seedlings established in the previous summer were uprooted by storms and deposited on the beach. This material provided the opportunity to examine seed mass and nutrient content, and the nutritional status of seedlings. Our findings support the hypothesis that growth limitation may be an important cause of mortality for seedlings during the first year of establishment in poor-nutrient sites.