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Seagrass Abundance Predicts Surficial Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Across the Range of Thalassia testudinum in the Western North Atlantic

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Abstract

The organic carbon (Corg) stored in seagrass meadows is globally significant and could be relevant in strategies to mitigate increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Most of that stored Corg is in the soils that underlie the seagrasses. We explored how seagrass and soil characteristics vary among seagrass meadows across the geographic range of turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) with a goal of illuminating the processes controlling soil organic carbon (Corg) storage spanning 23° of latitude. Seagrass abundance (percent cover, biomass, and canopy height) varied by over an order of magnitude across sites, and we found high variability in soil characteristics, with Corg ranging from 0.08 to 12.59% dry weight. Seagrass abundance was a good predictor of the Corg stocks in surficial soils, and the relative importance of seagrass-derived soil Corg increased as abundance increased. These relationships suggest that first-order estimates of surficial soil Corg stocks can be made by measuring seagrass abundance and applying a linear transfer function. The relative availability of the nutrients N and P to support plant growth was also correlated with soil Corg stocks. Stocks were lower at N-limited sites than at P-limited ones, but the importance of seagrass-derived organic matter to soil Corg stocks was not a function of nutrient limitation status. This finding seemed at odds with our observation that labile standard substrates decomposed more slowly at N-limited than at P-limited sites, since even though decomposition rates were 55% lower at N-limited sites, less Corg was accumulating in the soils. The dependence of Corg stocks and decomposition rates on nutrient availability suggests that eutrophication is likely to exert a strong influence on carbon storage in seagrass meadows.

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Data used in this study will be available in the Figshare Data Repository.

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Acknowledgements

This work would not have been possible without the support of numerous technicians, students, and volunteers who assisted in the collection of field data and the processing of samples in the lab. We thank those at FIU and the Smithsonian Marine Station who assisted with field work and project logistics: Clare Peabody, Victoria Jenkins, Scott Jones, Zachary Foltz, Skylar Carlson, Iris Segura-Garcia, Maggie Johnson, Audrey Looby, Olivia Carmack, and David Branson. We also thank Uriah Sun, Lindsey Spiers, Joe Kuehl, and Jon Clamp at the Cayman Islands; Ashley E. MacDonald at the Galveston site; Kathryn Coates and Khalil Smith at the Bermuda site; Aaron John, Anna Safryghin, Jade Reinhart, Kasia Malinowski, Laura Woodlee, Matthew Speegle, Michael England, Sam Glew, and Trinitti Leon at the Andros site; Sabine Engel and Julia van Duijnhoven at the Bonaire site; Scott Alford, Theresa Gruninger, Audrey Looby (again), Cayla Sullivan, Sawyer Downey, Whitney Scheffel, Jamila Roth, and Tim Jones at the Crystal River site; Tom Glucksman, Cameron Raguse, Isabella Primrose Hartman, William F. Bigelow, and Matheo Albury at the Eleuthera site; and M. Guadalupe Barba Santos at the Puerto Morelos site. We also thank Meghan Sarsich and the Blue Carbon Analysis Laboratory at Florida International University for assistance with elemental analyses. The work was conducted under the following permits: at Eleuthera under permit #s MAMR/FIS/17 and MAMR/FIS/9 issued by the Department of Marine Resources; at Bonaire under permit #558/2015-2015007762 issued by Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire; at Belize under permit #0004-18 issued by the Belize Fisheries Department; at Panama under permit #s SE/AP-23-17 and SE/AO-1-19 issued by the Ministerio de Ambiente de la Republica de Panama; at Andros by permits issued by The Bahamas National Trust and the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology Commission; and at Cayman Islands by a permit issued by the Department of Environment. This is contribution #1564 from the Coastlines and Oceans Division of the Institute of Environment at Florida International University.

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by the US National Science Foundation (grant #s OCE-1737247 to JEC, AHA, and VJP, OCE-2019022 to JEC, OCE-1737144 to KLH, and OCE-1737116 to JGD). MJAC was supported by NWO-Veni grant 181.002. JWF was also supported by the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program (grant # DEB-1832229).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    James W. Fourqurean, Justin E. Campbell, O. Kennedy Rhoades, Calvin J. Munson, Johannes R. Krause, Janelle A. Goeke, Rancel Grana-Valdes, Clare Peabody, William L. Wied & Sara S. Wilson

  2. Smithsonian Marine Station, 701 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL, 34949, USA

    Justin E. Campbell, O. Kennedy Rhoades, Valerie J. Paul, Katrina Dutton, Bethany M. Gaffey, Rachael Glazner, Janelle A. Goeke, Olivier A. A. Kramer, Isis Gabriela Martínez López, Ashley M. McDonald, Duncan A. O’Brien, Amanda Sang, Jamie E. Thompson & William L. Wied

  3. Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    O. Kennedy Rhoades

  4. Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, BC, Canada

    O. Kennedy Rhoades

  5. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA

    Calvin J. Munson

  6. Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Andrew H. Altieri

  7. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama

    Andrew H. Altieri

  8. Florida Gulf Coast University, The Water School, 10501 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA

    James G. Douglass & Amanda Sang

  9. Dauphin Island Sea Lab and School of Marine and Environmental Studies, University of South Alabama, 101 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island, AL, 36528, USA

    Kenneth L. Heck Jr., Samantha T. Linhardt, Candela Marco-Méndez & Alex Rodriguez

  10. Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, PO Box 1675, Galveston, TX, 77553, USA

    Anna R. Armitage, Rachael Glazner, Janelle A. Goeke & Jamie E. Thompson

  11. UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, 552 1st St., Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA

    Savanna C. Barry, Charles W. Martin & Ashley M. McDonald

  12. The Centre for Ocean Research and Education (CORE), Gregory Town, PO Box 255-16, Eleuthera, Bahamas

    Enrique Bethel, Duncan A. O’Brien & Owen O’Shea

  13. International Field Studies, Inc., Forfar Field Station, Blanket Sound, Andros, Bahamas

    Lindsey Christ

  14. Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Marjolijn J. A. Christianen & Fee O. H. Smulders

  15. CSA Ocean Sciences Inc., 8502 SW Kansas Ave., Stuart, FL, 34997, USA

    Grace Dodillet

  16. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Thomas K. Frazer

  17. Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Bethany M. Gaffey

  18. Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales-Puerto Morelos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Prolongación Niños Héroes s/n, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Isis Gabriela Martínez López & Brigitta van Tussenbroek

  19. University of Florida, Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department, PO Box 110290, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Ashley M. McDonald & Laura K. Reynolds

  20. Florida Oceanographic Society, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, FL, 34996, USA

    Vivienne A. Main

  21. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, “Shorelands”, 17 North Shore Road, FL04, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

    Sarah A. Manuel

  22. CEAB (CSIC), C/d’accés a la Cala St. Francesc, 14, Blanes, Girona, Spain

    Candela Marco-Méndez

  23. Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062-1346, USA

    Christopher J. Patrick

  24. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

    Lucia M. Rodriguez Bravo

  25. Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), 17 Biological Station, GE01, St. George’s, Bermuda

    Yvonne Sawall

Authors
  1. James W. Fourqurean
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  2. Justin E. Campbell
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  3. O. Kennedy Rhoades
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  4. Calvin J. Munson
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  5. Johannes R. Krause
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  6. Andrew H. Altieri
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  7. James G. Douglass
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  8. Kenneth L. Heck Jr.
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  9. Valerie J. Paul
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  10. Anna R. Armitage
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  11. Savanna C. Barry
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  12. Enrique Bethel
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  13. Lindsey Christ
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  14. Marjolijn J. A. Christianen
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  15. Grace Dodillet
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  16. Katrina Dutton
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  17. Thomas K. Frazer
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  18. Bethany M. Gaffey
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  19. Rachael Glazner
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  20. Janelle A. Goeke
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  21. Rancel Grana-Valdes
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  22. Olivier A. A. Kramer
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  23. Samantha T. Linhardt
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  24. Charles W. Martin
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  25. Isis Gabriela Martínez López
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  26. Ashley M. McDonald
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  27. Vivienne A. Main
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  28. Sarah A. Manuel
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  29. Candela Marco-Méndez
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  30. Duncan A. O’Brien
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  31. Owen O’Shea
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  32. Christopher J. Patrick
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  33. Clare Peabody
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  34. Laura K. Reynolds
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  35. Alex Rodriguez
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  36. Lucia M. Rodriguez Bravo
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  37. Amanda Sang
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  38. Yvonne Sawall
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  39. Fee O. H. Smulders
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  40. Jamie E. Thompson
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  41. Brigitta van Tussenbroek
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  42. William L. Wied
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  43. Sara S. Wilson
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Contributions

JEC, AHA, JGD, KLH, VJP, JWF, and MJAC conceived and designed the experiments; JWF, JEC, OKR, CJM, AHA, JGD, KLH, VJP, ARA, SCB, EB, LRC, MJAC, GD, KD, TKF, BMG, RG, JAG, RGV, OAAK, STL, CWM, IGML, AMM, VAM, SAM, CMM, DAO, OO, LKR, ARR, LMRB, AS, YS, FOHS, US, JT, BIvT, WLW, and SSW performed the experiments and laboratory analyses; JWF, JEC, JRK, OKR, CJM, and CP analyzed and interpreted the data. JWF and JEC wrote the manuscript with contributions from the other authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James W. Fourqurean.

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Communicated by Holly Greening

Supplementary Information

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Supplementary file1 (DOCX 340 KB)

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Fourqurean, J.W., Campbell, J.E., Rhoades, O.K. et al. Seagrass Abundance Predicts Surficial Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Across the Range of Thalassia testudinum in the Western North Atlantic. Estuaries and Coasts 46, 1280–1301 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01210-0

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