Machine Learning Reveals Large-scale Impact of Posidonia Oceanica on
  Mediterranean Sea Water
Celio Trois Luciana Didonet Del Fabro Vladimir A. Baulin
Posidonia oceanica is a protected endemic seagrass of 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 exact location of P. oceanica and water biogeochemical
properties. The model's feature importance, showed that carbon-related
variables as net biomass production and downward surface mass flux of carbon
dioxide have their values altered in the areas with P. oceanica, which in turn
can be used for indirect location of P. oceanica meadows. The study provides
the 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.