A Unique Diel Pattern in Carbonate Chemistry in the Seagrass Meadows of
Dongsha Island: implications for ocean acidification buffering
Abstract
In contrast to most seagrass meadows where seawater carbonate chemistry
generally shows strong diel variations with a higher pH during the
daytime and a lower pH during nighttime due to the alternation in
photosynthesis and respiration, the seagrass meadows of the inner lagoon
on Dongsha Island had a unique diel pattern with an extremely high pH
across a diel cycle. We suggest that this distinct diel pattern in pH
was a result of a combination of total alkalinity (TA) production
through the coupling of aerobic/anaerobic respiration and carbonate
dissolution in the sediments and dissolved inorganic carbon consumption
through the high productivity of seagrasses in overlying seawaters. The
confinement of the semienclosed inner lagoon may hamper water exchange
and seagrass detritus export to the adjacent open ocean, which may
provide an ideal scenario for sedimentary TA production and
accumulation, thereby forming a strong capacity for seagrass meadows to
buffer ocean acidification.