Variation of carbon contents in eelgrass (
            <i>Zostera marina</i>
            ) sediments implied from depth profiles

Kindeberg, Theodor; Röhr, Emilia; Moksnes, Per‐Olav; Boström, Christoffer; Holmer, Marianne

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2018.0831

Cited by 15 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Some tropical seagrass species can, for instance, be a direct source of inorganic carbon to the sediment by formation of aragonite crystals in the leaves (Enríquez & Schubert, ); this has, however, not been seen in any temperate seagrass species. The C: N ratio was similar to previous studies on the Swedish west coast (Dahl, Deyanova, Gütschow, et al, ; Pihl et al, ) and elsewhere in the region (Kindeberg et al, ), with low nitrogen content in relation to organic carbon levels, which is also commonly found in other seagrass areas (Gullström et al, ; Santos et al, ). The highest nitrogen content was found in the carbon‐rich, sheltered site of Getevik, as the nitrogen content is known to positively correlate to both carbon‐ and silt‐clay content (Kindeberg et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…This study highlights the within‐year dynamics of sedimentary carbon content and the influence of seasonality on carbon stock levels in cold‐temperate seagrass meadows. Not only does Z. marina meadows display a large spatial variation in carbon storage (Dahl, Deyanova, Gütschow, et al, ; Green et al, ; Kindeberg et al, ; Röhr et al, ), but as shown in this study, there is also a high seasonal variability (at all sediment depth layers down to at least 30 cm) where sedimentary carbon levels both increased and decreased over the year. Our findings show a peak carbon density in June (0.0139 ± 0.0009 g cm −3 ) and the lowest in August (0.0089 ± 0.0008 g cm −3 ), and the PLS model indicated that there was a negative correlation between TOC stocks and NCP.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 54%

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High Seasonal Variability in Sediment Carbon Stocks of Cold‐Temperate Seagrass Meadows

et al. 2020

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Seagrass meadows have a high ability to capture and store atmospheric CO 2 in the plant biomass and underlying sediment and thereby function as efficient carbon sinks. The seagrass Zostera marina is a common species in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, a region with strong seasonal variations in climate. How seasonality affects carbon storage capacity in seagrass meadows is largely unknown, and therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess variations in sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) content over a 1-year cycle in seagrass meadows on the Swedish west coast. The TOC was measured in two Z. marina sites, one wave exposed and one sheltered, and at two depths (1.5 and 4 m) within each site, every second month from August 2015 to June 2016. We found a strong seasonal variation in carbon density, with a peak in early summer (June), and that the TOC was negatively correlated to the net community production of the meadows, presumably related to organic matter degradation. There was seasonal variation in TOC content at all sediment sections, indicating that the carbon content down to 30 cm is unstable on a seasonal scale and therefore likely not a long-term carbon sink. The yearly mean carbon stocks were substantially higher in the sheltered meadow (3,965 and 3,465 g m −2 ) compared to the exposed one (2,712 and 1,054 g m −2 ) with similar seasonal variation. Due to the large intra-annual variability in TOC content, seasonal variation should be considered in carbon stock assessments and management for cold-temperate seagrass meadows.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 54%

High Seasonal Variability in Sediment Carbon Stocks of Cold‐Temperate Seagrass Meadows

et al. 2020

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“…S3 b,c). The average (± SE) carbon and nitrogen stocks were 2,219 ± 335 gC m −2 and 215 ± 32 gN m −2 , respectively (for site-specific stock data, see Table 1 ), which are in the range of previous estimates for the Skagerrak area 15 , 33 . The sediment density (gDW cm −3 ) in the deeper part of the meadows was also positively correlated to wave exposure (d.f.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

“…There were no changes in carbon and nitrogen content along the sediment depth profiles down to the maximum depth of about 60 cm, which strengthens the argument that the surface content (0-5 cm) sampled for the 53 meadows in the large survey is valid for evaluating meadows for long-term carbon storage, as similar values between the surface-and deeper sediment layers are expected. However, this might also indicate that there is a mixing of the sediment layers 33 , for instance from bioturbation, as the organic matter content would otherwise decrease due to remineralization 64 . Therefore, the upper 50-60 cm of the sediment might potentially still be within the remineralization zone 65 , with declining carbon and nitrogen content and refractory accumulation occurring in deeper layers of the sediment 51 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This variability in storage capacity has been linked to sediment properties, with meadows having a high proportion of fine grain-sized particles and degree of sorting (i.e. the uniformity of sediment grain sizes), and low sediment density being related to higher carbon and/or nutrient stocks 14 , 15 , 31 , 33 , 34 . These sediment characteristics are in turn associated with areas of low hydrodynamic forces and the grain size distribution and sorting has been used as a proxy for hydrodynamic exposure 14 , 15 , 31 , 34 , but to what extent wave exposure governs Z. marina carbon and nitrogen stocks on a regional scale is not fully known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of hydrodynamic exposure on carbon storage and nutrient retention in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows on the Swedish Skagerrak coast

Dahl

Asplund

Björk

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Cold-temperate seagrass (Zostera marina) meadows provide several important ecosystem services, including trapping and storage of sedimentary organic carbon and nutrients. However, seagrass meadows are rapidly decreasing worldwide and there is a pressing need for protective management of the meadows and the organic matter sinks they create. Their carbon and nutrient storage potential must be properly evaluated, both at present situation and under future climate change impacts. In this study, we assessed the effect of wave exposure on sedimentary carbon and nitrogen accumulation using existing data from 53 Z. marina meadows at the Swedish west coast. We found that meadows with higher hydrodynamic exposure had larger absolute organic carbon and nitrogen stocks (at 0-25 cm depth). This can be explained by a hydrodynamically induced sediment compaction in more exposed sites, resulting in increased sediment density and higher accumulation (per unit volume) of sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen. With higher sediment density, the erosion threshold is assumed to increase, and as climate change-induced storms are predicted to be more common, we suggest that wave exposed meadows can be more resilient toward storms and might therefore be even more important as carbon-and nutrient sinks in the future. Carbon sequestration and nutrient retention are highly important ecosystem services provided by seagrass ecosystems 1-4. The natural carbon and nutrient sinks these meadows provide are suggested to contribute to the mitigation of the acute threats to human wellbeing posed by climate change and increased anthropogenic pressure on the coastal zone 5,6. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase protection of environments with high capacity for long-term carbon storage and nutrient filtering 7,8 , where environmental managers also need to consider future effects of climate change. Seagrass meadows have been highlighted as efficient carbon and nutrient sinks 9-12 , but this ecosystem function is not constant and varies significantly among regions and species 13-15. The ability of seagrass meadows to sequester and store organic matter is linked to their high primary production, the slow decomposition in marine sediment and their efficient trapping of allochthonous particles from surrounding habitats 16,17. The contribution of allochthonously derived organic matter to the accumulation of sedimentary organic matter can be substantial 17,18 , as seagrasses trap organic particles by reducing the flow of the water within the canopy 19-21 causing suspended organic matter to settle within the meadow and increasing the sedimentation rate 22. Hydrodynamics will thus largely determine sedimentation processes in seagrass-dominated environments 23 and it has been shown that low exposure to wind and wave action tends to favour a build-up of

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Sediment organic carbon stocks were similar among four species compositions in a tropical seagrass meadow

Samper‐Villarreal

Mazarrasa

Masqué

et al. 2022

Limnology & Oceanography

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Seagrass meadows composed of larger species are assumed to store larger sediment organic carbon (Corg) stocks, storing more Corg in their tissues and larger leaves promoting greater burial of seagrass and non‐seagrass Corg. However, the influence of species composition on sediment Corg stocks remains poorly understood mainly from challenges in isolating it from confounding factors. We assessed Corg stocks in seagrass biomass and sediment of four species compositions in a tropical Caribbean meadow. We hypothesized that larger species would lead to higher sediment Corg stocks, within a limited geomorphic setting and time frame. Seagrass biomass and surficial and sediment profiles were collected to measure seagrass morphometrics, δ13C and δ15N, dry bulk density, Corg and inorganic carbon (Cinorg) stocks, and grain size. Seagrass biomass Corg stocks ranged from 0.04 to 3.7 Mg ha−1, with higher biomass Corg stocks in compositions with larger species. Surficial sediment Corg and Cinorg stocks (to 1.5 cm) averaged 2.6 ± 0.6 Mg Corg ha−1 and 68.8 ± 14.6 Mg Cinorg ha−1, respectively, and did not vary among species compositions. Isotopic analyses revealed a ~ 50% contribution of seagrasses to surficial sediment Corg in compositions with larger species, compared to a contribution of ~ 35% for those of smaller species. This study provides novel blue carbon data from an understudied region and contributes to understanding the role of seagrass species composition on sediment carbon storage.

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Variation of carbon contents in eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) sediments implied from depth profiles

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

High Seasonal Variability in Sediment Carbon Stocks of Cold‐Temperate Seagrass Meadows

High Seasonal Variability in Sediment Carbon Stocks of Cold‐Temperate Seagrass Meadows

The influence of hydrodynamic exposure on carbon storage and nutrient retention in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows on the Swedish Skagerrak coast

Sediment organic carbon stocks were similar among four species compositions in a tropical seagrass meadow

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