Carbon storage within submerged aquatic vegetation meadows in the Chesapeake Bay
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
Seagrass meadow sediments in the Chesapeake Bay act as significant reservoirs for organic carbon storage, playing a crucial role in coastal "blue carbon" burial. The objective of this study was to assess differences in carbon burial potential of seagrass sediments from different locations along the salinity gradient of the Bay. Sediment cores were collected and analyzed using a sequential loss-on-ignition (LOI) approach to measure mass loss at increasing temperatures. Samples were dried at 100°C to remove water, heated to 280°C to quantify reactive organic matter (labile carbon), and finally heated to 520°C to quantify the more refractory material. South Bay and Crisfield exhibited higher total organic matter losses (~3%) compared to Gwynn Island (~1.7%), indicating substantially lower carbon storage at Gwynn Island. These differences correspond with higher salinity and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) density in the southern bay, which enhance organic matter accumulation. Reduced SAV density at Gwynn Island likely limits carbon inputs. Most mass loss occurred at the highest temperature, indicating that most of the buried carbon is relatively refractory. Newly deposited material in the top layer was more volatile than material found deeper in the core. These results suggest that seagrass-associated sediments in the Chesapeake Bay promote long-term carbon storage by preserving more stable organic matter, emphasizing their critical importance in regional blue carbon burial and coastal carbon management strategies.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Victoria Hill
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
vhill@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Ocean and Earth Sciences
College/School Affiliation
College of Sciences
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Poster
Carbon storage within submerged aquatic vegetation meadows in the Chesapeake Bay
Seagrass meadow sediments in the Chesapeake Bay act as significant reservoirs for organic carbon storage, playing a crucial role in coastal "blue carbon" burial. The objective of this study was to assess differences in carbon burial potential of seagrass sediments from different locations along the salinity gradient of the Bay. Sediment cores were collected and analyzed using a sequential loss-on-ignition (LOI) approach to measure mass loss at increasing temperatures. Samples were dried at 100°C to remove water, heated to 280°C to quantify reactive organic matter (labile carbon), and finally heated to 520°C to quantify the more refractory material. South Bay and Crisfield exhibited higher total organic matter losses (~3%) compared to Gwynn Island (~1.7%), indicating substantially lower carbon storage at Gwynn Island. These differences correspond with higher salinity and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) density in the southern bay, which enhance organic matter accumulation. Reduced SAV density at Gwynn Island likely limits carbon inputs. Most mass loss occurred at the highest temperature, indicating that most of the buried carbon is relatively refractory. Newly deposited material in the top layer was more volatile than material found deeper in the core. These results suggest that seagrass-associated sediments in the Chesapeake Bay promote long-term carbon storage by preserving more stable organic matter, emphasizing their critical importance in regional blue carbon burial and coastal carbon management strategies.