Characterizing blue carbon stocks in Thalassia testudinum meadows subjected to different phosphorus supplies: A lignin biomarker approach

Abstract

Seagrass meadows represent globally important stores of carbon. However, environmental heterogeneity in shallow, estuarine environments may shape the quantity, composition, and postdepositional processing of organic carbon stocks (C org ) in such meadows. Along a persistent gradient in total phosphorus concentrations in the water column and a parallel gradient in seagrass morphology, we measured bulk carbon parameters (C org , dry bulk density, %C org , C org : N, δ 13 C) and lignin biomarkers in Thalassia testudinum tissues and in the sediments beneath these meadows in three coastal systems. We found C org stocks and sources differed among coastal systems, but the aforementioned parameters were not consistently related to either standing stocks of seagrass or historical nutrient concentrations. We estimated that seagrasses contributed 30–53% of the total sedimentary C org in these three coastal systems, with the remainder derived from allochthonous sources. The coastal system with intermediate phosphorus concentrations and aboveground seagrass stock had more C org overall, more C org from seagrass, and sediments with lower bulk density. A consistent negative relationship between dry bulk density and %C org suggested hydrodynamics exerted a strong influence on stocks and sources of sedimentary C org . Lignin biomarkers refined our understanding of sources of C org and postdepositional processing of seagrass tissues. Phenolic acid‐to‐aldehyde ratios were high in fresh T. testudinum tissues. Lower values in sediments indicated seagrass tissues undergo extensive loss of acidic lignin phenols after deposition resulting in a need for lignin biomarker indices designed for estuarine sediments. Future studies of seagrass C org should account for hydrodynamic setting, especially when investigating influences of environmental heterogeneity.

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