Machine learning unveils large-scale impact of Posidonia oceanica on Mediterranean Sea water

Abstract

Posidonia oceanica is a protected endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea that fosters biodiversity, stores carbon, releases oxygen, and provides habitat to numerous sea organisms. Leveraging augmented research, we collected a comprehensive dataset of 174 features compiled from diverse data sources. Through machine learning analysis, we discovered the existence of a robust correlation between the location of P. oceanica and water biogeochemical properties. The model's feature importance showed that carbon-related variables such as net biomass production and carbon dioxide flux have their values altered in the areas with P. oceanica. The study provides evidence of the plant's ability to exert a global impact on the environment and underscores the crucial role of this plant in sea ecosystems, emphasizing the need for its conservation and management.

Keywords: Biogeochemical variables; Machine learning; Marine ecosystem; Posidonia oceanica.