RT journal article
T1 Contribution of the seagrass Syringodium isoetifolium to the metabolic functioning of a tropical reef lagoon
A1 Olive Samarra, Irene
A1 García Robledo, Emilio Guillermo
A1 Silva, João
A1 Pintado Herrera, Marina Guadalupe
A1 Santos, Rui
A1 Kamenos, Nicholas A.
A1 Cuet, Pascale
A1 Frouin, Patrick
A2 Biología
A2 Química Física
K1 benthic community
K1 metabolic balance
K1 nutrient fluxes
K1 productivity
K1 reef lagoon
K1 respiration
K1 seagrass
AB Seagrasses are gaining attention thanks to their metabolism and potential major role as carbon sinks, with further implications as nature-based solutions against climate change. Despite their recognized importance and the growing number of studies published, there is still a striking paucity of information on seagrass metabolism and contribution to biogeochemical cycles for some seagrass species and ocean areas. In this study we assessed the metabolic balance and nutrient cycling contribution of seagrasses to the benthic compartment of a tropical reef lagoon in Reunion Island, providing original information on a barely studied seagrass species (Syringodium isoetifolium) and a poorly studied ocean region (West Indian Ocean). We measured the net productivity, respiration and the metabolic balance in different components of the lagoon benthic compartment (i.e. seagrass, sediment, and benthic community) and the water-sediment nutrient benthic fluxes at differently impacted sites within the lagoon. The biogeochemical environmental variability, including inorganic and organic indicators of anthropogenic contamination, was also assessed at each site.Large spatial variability was detected in the metabolic balance of each benthic component assessed, also associated with the natural and/or anthropic-driven environmental variability found in the lagoon. The seagrass S. isoetifolium was net autotrophic across the lagoon and contributed to the lagoon benthic metabolism with net plant productivity exceeding by one order of magnitude the plant respiration. The lowest seagrass metabolism was detected at the impacted site. The metabolic balance of the sediment was heterotrophic but the high productivity of S. isoetifolium contributed to reducing the heterotrophy of the whole benthic community. The lagoon-wide benthic metabolic balance was slightly heterotrophic, but the associated uncertainty ranged from autotrophy to heterotrophy. Nutrient concentrations in the lagoon were low and the benthic community capacity for nutrient retention (uptake) and removal (denitrification and anammox) indicated potential for buffering moderate nutrient inputs into the lagoon. Organic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were low but detectable in the lagoon, especially in highly frequented beach areas, arising as an environmental quality indicator of interest.
PB FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
SN 2296-7745
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28022
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28022
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 05-nov-2026