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Seagrass ecosystems affected by climate change and anthropogenic disturbances require baseline characterization of their cover, distribution, and dynamics for effective conservation strategies. Caja de Muertos Island (CMI) is an important nature reserve in Puerto Rico where long-term trends in seagrass cover are unknown but where availability of historical aerial photographs can provide elements for analyzing seagrass dynamics. The purpose of this study was to understand those dynamics in CMI, thereby providing a baseline for determining the severity of future disturbances and inform conservation strategies. We quantified changes in seagrass spatial extent using object-based image analysis in a 2014 WorldView-2 image and historical aerial photographs from 1950 to 2010. Contrasting with worldwide seagrass declining trends, seagrass extent in CMI showed a positive rate of expansion and increased 64 …