The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Methane Dynamics and Their Offset on the Carbon Sink of Seagrass Meadows
ID:1112 Poster Presentation

2027-01-15 16:00 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 6 - Hidden Fluxes, Visible Impacts: Submarine Groundwater Discharge and Coastal Sustainability

Abstract
Seagrass meadows act as important carbon sinks by fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). However, methane (CH4) produced in their anoxic sediments can be emitted to the atmosphere through the sediment-water interface, partially offsetting their climate mitigation benefits. At present, quantitative understanding of methanogenic pathways and their spatial heterogeneity in seagrass ecosystems remains limited. In addition, macroalgae invasion has become a widespread environmental issue in seagrass meadows globally, yet its effects on methanogenic pathways and the underlying microbial regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. Furthermore, most previous assessments of CH4 offset effects only consider sedimentary organic carbon burial as the baseline carbon sink, neglecting lateral carbon export, which may lead to systematic underestimation of the net climate benefit of seagrass systems. To address these gaps, this study investigated a tropical seagrass meadow and a temperate macroalgae-invaded seagrass system. A combination of 13C-labeled substrate incubation experiments, 222Rn tracer, and in situ multi-parameter observations was employed to systematically examine methanogenic pathways, CH4 fluxes, microbial mechanisms, and carbon sink offset effects in seagrass ecosystems. We found that methylotrophic methanogenesis dominates in tropical seagrass meadows, which account for over 90% of global seagrass CH4 emissions. In temperate seagrass-macroalgae mixed systems, where methylotrophic methanogenesis also dominates. CH4 flux across the sediment-water interface reached 1590±262μmol m-2 d-1 in November, approximately 1.4 times higher than in June and substantially exceeding the global median. Despite lower temperatures in November, bioturbation caused by overwintering swans enhanced porewater exchange and CH4 release. In addition, macroalgae degradation produces approximately 7 times more CH4 than an equivalent amount of seagrass, with a tighter coupling between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and CH4 production. Under substrate coexistence conditions, a positive priming effect occurs at low loading levels but weakens or even disappears at high loading, indicating a substrate load threshold for priming effects. SHAP analysis reveals that DOC and nutrient stoichiometry jointly regulate the priming effect. Correspondingly, macroalgae addition enriches fermentative bacteria and the metabolically versatile Methanosarcina, driving a shift in methanogenic pathways from methylotrophic to multifunctional; seagrass addition, in contrast, maintains a more stable microbial community. In the mixed seagrass-macroalgae mixed system, porewater exchange dominates sediment carbon export, different carbon species exhibit divergent fates of outwelling versus outgassing, and outwellings of total alkalinity and refractory dissolved organic matter constitute indirect carbon sinks, while greenhouse gas emissions offset approximately 9-12% of the carbon sink benefit.
Speaker
Guiyuan Dai Westlake University

Author
Guiyuan Dai Westlake University

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027